•IRKIIIY 

LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OP 
CALIFORNIA 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

A  NOVEL 


BY 

GEORGE  ERNEST  MILLER 

AUTHOR  OF 

'THE  GREAT  SHEIK'S  CURSE  IS  ON  THEE! 
"CONRAD,"  "LUXILLA,"  ETC- 


GEORGE    ERNEST     MILLER,      PUBLISHER 

311  SCOTT  STREET 
COVINGTON,    SOUTH  CINCINNATI,   KENTUCKY 


LOAN  STACK 


PS' 


Dedicated  to  the  Men  and  Women 
of  This  Land 

Who   Can  Throw  Away  Prejudice 
and  the   Slavery   of 
Their  Surroundings. 


136 


A  good  and  honest  reporter,  who  is  sent  out  by  a 
newspaper,  will  bring  in  a  report  of  happenings  exactly 
as  they  occurred,  and  in  selecting  his  characters,  mental 
and  physical  occurrences  of  this  book,  the  author  has 
endeavored  to  confine  himself  to  those  who  have 
actually  come  under  his  personal  knowledge;  in  other 
words,  he  has  made  a  picture  with  his  pen,  as  near  as 
one  can,  of  what  he  has  seen  in  real  life. 


This  book  is  not  written  to  attack  any  religion,  but 
to  defend  and  uphold  True  Religion,  which  is  dependent 
upon  Liberty  of  Thought  and  Action;  it  is  written  to 
destroy  Hypocrisy,  on  the  Liquor  Question,  that  has 
crept  into  the  religious  societies  of  this  land  and  the 
world. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

A  Novel 

Copyright  by  Author, 
George   Ernest   Miller,   1915. 

CHAPTER    I. 

Colonel  Berry  and  Major  Ashcraft  are  very  wealthy 
men  and  own  magnificent  residences  and  grounds  in 
the  outskirts  of  Batesville,  a  prosperous  town  of  York- 
sylvania. 

Though  they  have  a  common  fence  line  between  their 
places,  they  have  very  little  to  do  with  each  other,  for 
The  Colonel  has  made  his  money  in  the  Distilling  busi 
ness  and  The  Major  has  made  his  in  manufacturing 
shoes. 

Colonel  Berry  makes  no  claims  to  religion  and  says 
he  is  only  a  man  of  the  world;  but  no  one  has  ever 
accused  him  of  an  unmanly  act,  and  everybody  says 
he  is  a  square  man  to  deal  with. 

Major  Ashcraft,  on  the  other  hand,  is  given  to  all 
kinds  of  religious  work,  and  stands  high  in  the  councils 
of  the  saints  in  Batesville,  and  his  reputation  through 
the  State  of  Yorksylvania,  and  even  beyond,  for  an 
earnest  worker  in  church  affairs  is  great. 

The  Major  is  the  most  prominent  lay  member  of 
Rev.  Peter  Nostir's  Fashionable  Church  and  he,  Rev. 
Nostir  and  Deacon  Going  are  vigorous  in  their  denun 
ciations  of  the  local  liquor  traffic.  Major  Ashcraft 
is  in  constant  co-operation  with  the  Prohibition  forces 
in  their  efforts  to  overthrow  the  saloons  in  Batesville 
and  vicinity,  both  in  the  way  of  personal  effort  and 
by  contributing  liberally  to  Miss  Lucy  Hurryup,  Presi 
dent  of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.,  and  others. 


6  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Colonel  Berry's  son,  Alvin,  is  a  fine  young  man  of 
twenty-one.  He  is  dark,  passionate,  impulsive,  loving; 
and  his  large,  dark  eyes,  when  excited,  burn  like  coals 
of  fire.  His  mother,  a  quiet,  domestic  woman,  smoothes 
his  dark  hair  back  from  his  forehead,  kisses  him  and 
thinks  Alvin  is  the  handsomest  boy  in  the  world.  Alvin 
is  indeed  handsome  and  generous,  but  folks  say  he  is 
inclined  to  be  wild. 

Major  Ashcraft  has  lost  his  wife  about  three  years 
before  this;  but  he  has  a  lovely  daughter,  Henrietta, 
of  seventeen,  upon  whom  he  bestows  a  great  deal  of 
affection;  but  he  is  inclined  to  hold  her  very  strictly 
to  what  he  considers  her  religious  duties. 

Henrietta  has  beautiful,  wavy  light  hair,  with  high 
brow,  Grecian  cut  face  and  soft  gray  eyes.  Her  voice 
takes  the  high  soprano  in  all  the  notable  church  music 
at  Dr.  Nostir's  large  church,  and  when  she  soars  with 
those  bird-like  notes,  the  people  think  it  must  be  an 
angel  singing  in  the  choir. 

A  dense  grove  of  large  trees  and  bushes  skirts  the 
Major's  premises  and  a*  brook  runs  through  it,  which 
passes  under  the  fence  into  Colonel  Berry's  place  and 
through  the  grove,  situated  on  the  land  of  the  latter. 

When  Henrietta  was  a  little  girl  it  gave  her  great 
pleasure  to  steal  into  this  grove,  especially  in  summer, 
and  lie  full  length  in  the  hammock  that  was  stretched 
between  trees  in  the  shade,  or  to  swing,  sitting  or 
standing  up  in  the  other  swing,  holding  on  to  the  two 
ropes  that  hung  from  a  huge  bough  above.  Sometimes 
she  would  look  over  to  the  brook  and  see  a  boy  playing 
in  the  water  on  the  other  side  of  the  fence.  It  was 
Alvin,  and  when  he  would  see  her  he  would  climb  the 
fence,  come  to  her  and  swing  her. 

The  children  played  together  often  when  no  one 
knew  it;  but  all  of  The  Major's  family  were  so  much 
prejudiced  against  their  Distiller  neighbor  that  they 
condemned  Colonel  Berry  and  his  whole  family  when 
ever  their  names  were  mentioned. 


COLONEL   BERRY  S    CHALLENGE  7 

Henrietta's  governess,  Miss  Askwitch,  said  to  her 
a  number  of  times:  "Henrietta,  I  would  not  contam 
inate  myself  by  going  with  such  sinful  people!" 

One  day  The  Major  had  as  his  guests  Rev.  Peter 
Nostir  and  Deacon  Going,  and  was  showing  them  around 
his  extensive  grounds.  They  came  to  the  grove  of 
trees,  near  the  brook,  and  there  was  Alvin  swinging 
Henrietta  in  the  rope  swing.  The  Major  frowned  as 
the  children  looked  at  him,  and  said:  "Be  careful  not 
to  swing  too  high,  Henrietta!"  and  passed  on  with  the 
Parson  and  Deacon. 

The  Rev.  Nostir  remarked:  "Your  daughter  is  very 
beautiful,  Major,  and  that  is  a  very  handsome  boy; 
who  is  he?"  The  Major  hesitated,  and  answered  slowly: 
"That  is  Colonel  Berry's  son." 

"You  do  not  mean  to  say  that  is  the  son  of  that  arch 
fiend,  the  Distiller,  is  it?"  exclaimed  Rev.  Nostir. 

"That  is  Colonel  Berry's  son,"  replied  The  Major. 

"Poor  fellow,  poor  fellow;  then  I  am  afraid  he  is 
lost!  The  sins  of  the  father  are  visited  on  the  chil 
dren!"  said  the  Parson.  "It  is  sad;  it  is  sad!"  chimed 
in  Deacon  Going.  The  Major  changed  the  subject. 

That  night  Miss  Askwitch  told  Henrietta,  in  her 
bedroom,  her  father  wanted  to  see  her  in  the  sitting 
room.  "Daughter,  I  do  not  say  you  shall  not  speak 
to  Alvin  Berry;  but  my  opinion  is  that  your  association 
with  him  will  do  you  no  good,  and  it  will  please  me 
if  you  would  avoid  his  company  as  much  as  possible," 
said  The  Major. 

"Yes,  Papa,  I  will  as  much  as  I  can,"  replied  the 
beautiful  girl  of  twelve;  and  she  did  do  so  as  much 
as  she  could;  but  the  grove,  the  swing  and  the  brook 
seemed  to  draw  Henrietta  and  also  Alvin,  and  they 
often  met  there  secretly  after  that,  and  Alvin  often 
kissed  Henrietta;  then  he  would  jump  across  the  fence 
and  hide  behind  some  bushes  as  he  heard  Henrietta's 
governess  coming. 


8 

Alvin's  mother  saw  him  a  number  of  times  across 
the  fence  talking  to  Major  Ashcraft's  daughter,  and 
afterwards  said  to  her  son: 

"Alvin,  dear,  I  do  not  think  any  of  the  Ashcraffs 
like  us,  and  I  would  not  force  myself  on  their  com 
pany." 

This  governess,  Miss  Askwitch,  had  a  nephew  about 
Alvin's  age,  whom  she  set  to  spy  on  Henrietta  and 
Alvin.  His  name  was  Albert  Luxy,  and  he  was  a  stout, 
strong  boy. 

One  day  Alvin  caught  him  spying  behind  a  tree 
when  he  and  Henrietta  were  talking  at  the  brook  near 
the  fence.  Alvin  called  out  to  him:  "You  low  down, 
spying  sneak!  I'll  teach  you  how  to  attend  to  your 
own  business!"  and  then  Alvin  struck  Albert,  who 
struck  back,  and  they  had  a  struggle.  Henrietta  tried 
to  part  them,  and  then  Miss  Askwitch  appeared  on 
the  scene,  exclaiming:  "Good  Lord,  Albert!  fighting 
with  the  son  of  the  Evil  One!  That  Whiskey  Distiller's 
son!  Here,  sir,  you  get  across  that  fence  line,  and 
you,  Henrietta,  go  to  the  house!  I  am  going  to  report 
you  to  your  father  for  associating  with  the  child  of 
the  Devil!" 

She  took  Henrietta's  arm  and  led  her  off,  who  looked 
back  sadly  at  Alvin,  and  he  called  out: 

"Good-bye,  Henrietta!" 

Albert  followed  his  aunt  and  shook  his  fist  at  Alvin 
as  he  retired,  whose  dark,  flashing  eyes  followed  them; 
then  holding  his  head  high  he  went  slowly  to  the  fence 
and  climbed  over  to  his  father's  premises. 

That  night  in  the  elegant  parlor  Henrietta  sat  read 
ing  intently  and  Major  Ashcraft  and  Miss  Askwitch 
enter  and  sit  down. 

"Henrietta,  Miss  Askwitch  tells  me  that  you  will 
still  associate  with  Alvin  Berry  against  my  orders.  Is 
that  so?"  asked  The  Major. 

"Yes,  father,  we  did  meet  down  at  the  brook," 
answered  Henrietta  with  tears  in  her  eyes. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  9 

"Well,  it  makes  no  difference.  The  Berrys  belong 
to  a  crowd  that  are  below  your  station.  They  are 
whisky  guzzlers  and  whisky  sellers  and  I  do  not  wish 
you  to  associate  with  any  of  them.  This  I  positively 
prohibit!"  exclaimed  he. 

Miss  Askwitch  gives  a  toss  of  satisfaction  to  her 
head,  and  Henrietta,  weeping,  puts  her  handkerchief 
to  her  eyes  and  leaves  the  room,  and  The  Major  reads 
the  paper. 

In  her  bedroom  Henrietta  goes  to  a  stand,  where 
there  is  the  picture  of  a  stately  woman  with  loving 
eyes.  It  is  her  dead  mother.  She  seats  herself  by  the 
stand,  puts  her  head  down  by  the  picture  and  weeps, 
wishing  that  her  mother  were  alive. 

Alvin  soon  went  off  to  the  University  of  Yorksyl- 
vania,  where  he  staid  for  several  years,  and  had  just 
graduated  and  returned  at  the  age  of  twenty-one. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Snickuls  is  a  fat  man  in  the  neighborhood  of  forty. 
Everybody  calls  him  a  bum;  but  he  is  a  good-humored 
one,  and  so  very  polite  that  even  when  he  is  drunk, 
which  is  very  often,  everybody  likes  him,  even  the 
Prohibitionists. 

He  usually  was  not  clean  and  well  dressed,  but 
Snickuls  always  had  a  little  money  in  his  pocket,  which 
prevented  him  from  being  a  charge  on  the  community; 
and  though  he  was  drunk  a  good  deal,  he  was  only 
funny,  did  nobody  any  harm  and  never  was  down  in  the 
street.  The  wise  ones  of  Batesville  said  he  must  have 
seen  better  days;  but  his  past  history  was  a  mystery 
to  everybody,  unless  it  was  to  one  man. 

Snickuls  half-walked,  half-staggered  along  the  side 
walk,  until  he  came  to  a  giant  billboard,  upon  which 
a  man  was  putting  a  flaming  advertisement,  which  read: 


10  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Grand  Prohibition   Rally  I! 
At  Temperance  Hall 

8  o'clock  Tonight 

Under  Auspices  of  W.  G.  T.  U. 

Addresses  made  by  Mayor  Homer, 

Major  Ashcraft,   Rev.   Peter  Nostir, 

Deacon  Going  and  other  Orators 

The  Evils  of  the  Liquor  Traffic  Vividly  Portrayed. 

All  Lovers  of  Law  and  Order  Should  Attend. 

Come  One!     Come  All! 

Lucy  Hurryup,  President. 

"What  do  you  think  of  it,  Snickuls?"  asked  the  bill 
board  poster  of  Snickuls,  as  he  balanced  himself  and 
read  the  announcement  with  sleepy  eyes,  and  exclaimed: 

"Luce — y — y — hie — Hurry — up — hie.  That  re — minds 
me — hie — of  two  women — hie — who — had  a  canary — y — 
bird. 

"One  said — hie — it,  it  can — not — sing — hie — and  it's 
no  male;  and  it  lays — hie — hie — no — o — eggs;  so  it's  no 
fe— male."  "Well,  what— hie— is  it?"  asked  the  other. 

"Guess — hie — it  must  be — hie — a  suf — hie — ragette! 
said  first  worn — hie — an." 

The  poster  laughed  heartily,  as  he  took  up  his  pail 
and  brush  and  went  on  up  street,  and  Snickuls  toddled 
along  toward  the  business  part  of  the  town. 

In  a  little  while  he  looked  up  and  saw  the  sign  of 
Going  &  Co.,  Real  Estate  Agents. 

"Going — Go — ing — Gone,"  mumbled  Snickuls,  as  he 
stopped  and  looked  around.  At  the  side  of  the  large 
real  estate  office  was  a  vacant  lot,  and  some  covered 
wagons  had  been  backed  up  there,  one  of  which  was 
very  close  to  the  wall,  by  a  window,  in  the  shade.  As 
he  was  hot  and  tired  he  went  to  the  wagon,  climbed 
up  into  it  and  laid  down  on  its  empty  floor,  soon  falling 
asleep. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  11 

Let  us  go  back  five  years.  Colonel  Berry  was  the 
most  influential  and  powerful  man  in  the  town  then, 
financially,  politically  and  every  other  way;  in  fact,  he 
was  boss. 

Some  years  before  this  The  Colonel  came  to  that 
district,  which  then  was  only  farm  land,  situated  on 
a  beautiful  little  stream. 

He  put  up  a  small  distillery  and  his  business  grew 
rapidly  until  his  distillery  and  brewery  employed  about 
one  thousand  men.  The  Colonel  owned  a  good  deal 
of  the  land  upon  which  the  town  was  built  and  most 
all  the  saloons. 

Up  to  a  few  years  back  he  could  control  the  politics 
of  the  town  and  county  very  easily;  but  some  very 
large  shoe  manufactories,  with  Major  Ashcraft  and  his 
friends  at  their  head,  had  located  in  Batesville,  who 
employed  a  great  many  hands. 

Though  Colonel  Berry  welcomed  the  shoe  men  to 
the  town,  when  they  proposed  to  locate  there,  as  soon 
as  Major  Ashcraft  and  his  friends  got  a  foothold,  he 
found  that  they  and  their  workmen  were  mostly  Pro 
hibitionists,  and  they  commenced  to  work  against  his 
business  in  every  way;  especially  in  ftie  politics  of  the 
town.  At  the  last  town  election  Major  Ashcraft  had 
succeeded  in  electing  a  Prohibition  Mayor,  in  the  person 
of  William  Homer;  but  the  town  Council  was  still  under 
the  control  of  Colonel  Berry. 

One  cold  December  night,  about  five  years  before 
this,  Colonel  Berry  was  walking  along  the  main  street 
of  Batesville  with  his  long  military  stride.  He  pulls 
his  heavy  coat  about  him,  for  it  is  very  cold,  and  he 
looks  ahead. 

The  bright  light  from  one  of  his  saloons  shines  out 
and  he  steps  in  for  a  few  moments  to  get  warm.  As 
he  enters,  the  barkeeper  behind  the  bar  serving  three 
customers  sees  him  and  starts  to  come  out  to  greet 
The  Colonel. 


12  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Do  not  trouble  yourself,  Jake;  wait  on  your  cus 
tomers.  I  just  stepped  in  a  moment  to  get  warm.  I'll 
warm  my  hands  by  the  stove  back  there,  and  when 
you  get  through  with  those  men  bring  me  a  little  brandy 
over  to  that  table,"  said  Colonel  Berry,  as  he  went  back 
to  the  big  stove.  He  warmed  his  hands  and  then  took 
a  comfortable  seat  at  a  table  near  by. 

In  a  few  moments  the  saloon  door  opened  rather 
abruptly  and  a  stout  man  stumbled  in  and  fell  against 
the  bar  counter.  He  held  to  the  counter  and  partially 
sank  to  the  floor,  with  his  head  thrown  back  and  his 
eyes  rolling. 

The  Colonel  saw  this  and  that  he  had  on  a  peculiar 
gray  coat,  with  brass  buttons,  a  black  pair  of  pants  and 
an  old  worn  felt  hat. 

Jake,  the  barkeeper,  called  out  to  him:  "Get  right 
out,  now!  I've  had  enough  of  your  kind  today.  Put 
him  out!"  Two  of  the  help  in  the  saloon  seized  the 
man.  He  raised  himself  and  struggled  in  their  grasp, 
and  with  wild  eyes  shouted: 

"Did  you  never  hear  the  Rebel  Yell?  I'll  give  it!" 
and  he  gave  such  a  yell  that  seemed  to  shake  the  room 
and  house,  and  then  collapsed  in  the  arms  of  the  help. 

The  Colonel  jumped  to  his  feet  and  sprang  toward 
them,  exclaiming:  "Yes,  by  God,  I  have  heard  the  Rebel 
Yell  and  it  is  dear  to  me!" 

He  pushed  one  of  the  help  aside  and  put  his  arms 
around  the  old  Confederate  coat,  calling  out  to  the 
barkeeper: 

"Here,  Jake,  give  me  a  bed  for  this  man!  Have  you 
got  a  room?" 

The  barkeeper  showed  great  surprise,  but  quickly 
came  to  his  employer's  side  and  led  the  way  to  a  room 
at  the  rear  of  the  saloon,  followed  by  the  help  and 
The  Colonel,  bearing  the  stranger,  who  was  laid  on 
the  bed. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  1^ 

The  Colonel  left  one  of  the  men  to  watch  him  and 
came  back  into  the  saloon,  saying  earnestly  to  the 
harkeeper : 

"Jake,  I  want  you  to  take  the  best  of  care  of  that 
man!  I  am  going  by  Dr.  Biddle's  office  and  I  wilj 
send  him  right  away  to  see  what  is  the  matter  with 
him." 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Jake,  and  the  Colonel  went  out  into 
the  cold,  leaving  Jake  staring  and  wondering  why  The 
Colonel  should  treat  a  man  like  that  so  well. 

In  a  few  minutes  Dr.  Biddle  came  and  examined 
the  ill  man.  He  told  Jake  he  was  seriously  ill  from 
cold,  want  and  exposure,  but  that  he  would  be  all  right 
in  a  few  days,  in  his  opinion.  The  Colonel  came  td 
see  him  the  next  day,  but  he  was  delirious. 

On  the  third  day  the  stranger  seemed  to  come  to 
his  senses,  and  Jake  made  the  help  wash  him  and  put 
some  good  clothes  on  him  that  The  Colonel  sent. 

When  the  Colonel  entered  the  door  the  stranger's 
eyes  glanced  toward  him,  as  he  lay  on  his  side  with 
his  head  on  the  pillow.  The  Colonel  took  a  seat  and 
watched  the  man,  whose  eyes  became  more  intently 
riveted  on  him,  and  he  raised  himself  on  his  elbow  and 
held  his  hand  to  his  head.  His  eyes  became  brighter 
and  holding  his  hand  out  toward  the  Colonel,  he 
exclaimed: 

"Colonel  Berry!  My  Colonel!  Thank  God!  Don't 
you  know  me,  Colonel?" 

Colonel  Berry  sprang  to  the  bed,  sat  on  the  side 
of  it  and  took  the  man's  hand,  asking: 

"Who  are  you?    Who  are  you?" 

"Don't  you  know  the  Lieutenant  who  saved  you 
and  prevented  you  from  capture  when  your  horse  fell 
on  you  at  Chicamauga,  Colonel?" 

The  Colonel  put  his  arms  around  the  man's  neck 
and  shed  tears.  There  they  talked  for  hours.  This  i& 
the  story: 


14  CtiLONEL   BERRY'S    CHALLENGE 

Colonel  Berry  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  Colonels 
under  the  Southern  Confederacy.  In  leading  a  charge 
of  his  regiment  at  the  Battle  of  Chicamauga,  a  bullet 
struck  his  horse  in  the  breast,  which  fell  and  pinioned 
The  Colonel  on  the  ground. 

In  the  same  charge  a  young  Lieutenant  under  his 
command  was  struck  by  a  glancing  bullet  on  the  metal 
part  of  his  cap,  and  fell,  stunned,  not  far  from  The 
Colonel,  as  the  battle  swept  on. 

The  Colonel  tried  in  vain  to  release  himself  from 
under  the  dead  horse  and,  while  he  is  struggling,  three 
Northern  soldiers  approach  and  try  to  capture  him. 
The  young  Lieutenant,  who  was  stunned  by  a  bullet, 
comes  to  and  rises  in  the  deep  grass  and  looks  around. 
He  sees  the  desperate  fix  his  Colonel  is  in  and  rushes 
to  his  aid,  standing  over  him  with  revolver  in  hand. 

The  young  man  seems  to  be  an  expert  shot;  for 
though  the  Northern  soldiers  fire  at  him,  he  kills  two 
of  them  and  the  other  rushes  on  him  with  drawn  sword. 
The  Lieutenant  seizes  The  Colonel's  sword  lying  on  the 
'ground,  and  they  have  a  fight  over  the  struggling 
Colonel,  who  frees  himself  and  gets  up.  The  Colonel 
lielps  the  Lieutenant  and  the  Northern  soldier  runs. 

A  riderless  horse  is  seen  near  the  two  Confederates. 

"Catch  that  horse,  Colonel,  quick!  The  army  cannot 
.spare  you!  Leave  me!"  cried  the  Lieutenant. 

"All  right,  but  you  get  up  behind  me!"  exclaimed 
the  Colonel. 

They  catch  the  stray  horse;  the  Colonel  mounts,  and 
the  Lieutenant  tries  to  get  up  behind  him;  but  some 
sharpshooters,  not  far  away  in  some  bushes,  fire  at  them 
"and  the  Lieutenant  falls.  Thinking  he  is  dead  Colonel 
"Berry  puts  spurs  to  the  horse  and  soon  joins  his  regi 
ment;  but  ever  afterwards  he  sorrows  for  the  brave 
"Lieutenant,  who  did  not  die,  but  was  captured  and  car 
ried  to  a  Northern  prison,  where  he  staid  until  the 
end  of  the  war. 


COLONEL  .BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  15  , 

"I  thank  you,  Colonel,  for  what  you  have  done  for 
me  and  for  your  kind  offer  to  help  me  in  -every  way,"  , 
said  the  Lieutenant;  "but,  if  I  take  advantage  of  it,  you 
must  not  tell  my  name,  for  two  reasons.  The  first  is, 
because  I  am  a  pretty  hard  drinker,  and  in  order  to 
let  you  know  the  second,  I  will  have  to  tell  you  a  little 
story.  About  fifteen  years  ago  I  was  in  one  of  the  large 
towns  of  Kentuckio,  walking  along  slowly.  I  saw  a 
pretty  well  dressed  sort  of  a  man,  about  thirty  years 
old,  dodging  behind  some  signs  and  watching  a  house 
across  the  street.  Getting  into  an  old  stable  I  watched 
him. 

Very  soon  a  pretty  girl  came  out  of  the  house  with 
her  wraps,  as  if  she  were  going  on  a  walk  or  visit,  and 
walked  up  street  toward  the  end  of  the  town.  The  man 
followed  her  and  I  followed  him. 

I  knew  that  he  was  one  of  the  prominent  young 
men  of  the  town,  for  I  had  seen  him  before. 

There  was  only  one  road  going  in  that  direction 
which  led  out  of  the  town,  and  I  reasoned  that  she 
was  going  to  walk  out  into  the  country  on  a  visit.  A 
wagon  was  coming  along  and  I  asked  the  driver  to 
give  me  a  ride  a  little  ways  into  the  country,  which 
he  did. 

We  soon  passed  the  young  man  who  was  following 
the  girl,  and  then  the  girl,  who  did  not  know  she  was 
being  followed. 

After  riding  on  the  country  road  to  where  I  thought  . 
was  sufficiently  far,  1  got  out,  thanked  the  teamster, 
and  went  into  the  deep  bushes  that  skirted  both  sides 
of  the  road.  My  revolver  was  in  my  hip  pocket  and 
I  was  prepared  for  any  adventure,  if  there  should  be 
any. 

Presently  I  heard  a  light  footfall  and  the  girl  came 
by.  She  seemed  tired  and  looked  back,  as  if  she  were 
afraid.  Very  soon  the  swell  young  fellow  came  walk 
ing  by  rapidly,  as  if  to  catch  up  with  the  girl.  She 
stopped,  as  if  to  let  him  pass,  but  he  tipped  his  hat 


16 

and  spoke  to  her.  She  tried  to  go  forward  or  back, 
but  he  would  not  leave  her.  At  last  he  grabbed  her 
and  the  girl  screamed.  He  put  one  hand  over  her 
mouth,  an  arm  around  her  waist,  lifted  her  off  the 
ground  and  carried  her  struggling  into  the  bushes  at 
side  of  road. 

"I  rushed  to  the  place,  parted  the  bushes  and  cried: 
'Here,  stop  that!  What  are  you  doing  with  that  girl?' 
Dropping  her,  but  still  holding  the  girl  by  the  wrist, 
the  fellow  turned  on  me  with  fire  in  his  eyes,  exclaim 
ing: 

"  'None  of  your  damn  business !  Here  you  get  away 
from  there !'  and  he  drew  a  revolver  and  aimed  it  at  me. 

"'Oh,  two  can  play  at  that  game!'  I  replied,  and 
drew  mine.  He  fired  and  I  fired,  and  when  the  smoke 
cleared  away  he  was  lying  on  the  ground,  and  I  found 
I  had  a  flesh  wound  through  my  left  arm. 

"The  girl  rushed  to  my  side  and  begged  me  to  save 
her.  I  quieted  her  and  then  went  to  look  at  her  assail 
ant.  He  was  dead.  She  helped  me  to  dress  my  wound 
and  I  escorted  her  back  to  the  edge  of  the  town,  telling 
her  not  to  say  anything  about  the  matter  until  I  could 
get  out  of  the  country. 

"Afterwards  I  saw  that  there  was  a  large  reward 
offered  for  the  apprehension  of  the  murderer  of  the 
young  man. 

"Well,  you  see,  Colonel,  as  that  reward  is  still  offered 
for  the  slayer  of  that  young  man,  it  would  not  be  wise 
for  me  to  go  by  my  right  name,  and  I  would  ask  you 
to  call  me  simply  'Snickuls'." 

"All  right,"  said  the  Colonel. 

The  next  day  Snickuls  was  in  the  saloon  when  a 
messenger  came  to  the  barkeeper  with  a  letter  addressed 
"Mr.  Snickuls." 

The  barkeeper  motions  the  messenger  to  the  party 
whom  he   is   looking  for.     Snickuls   opens   the   letter. 
It  contains  a  card,  upon  which  was  written: 
"To  All  My  Bartenders: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  17 

"Never  refuse  the  bearer  of  this — Snickuls — a  drink, 
a  meal  or  a  bed. 

"HENRY  BERRY." 

Snickuls  read  the  card  several  times  and  tears  came 
into  his  eyes.  He  looked  up  at  the  waiting  messenger 
with  beaming  face  and  said:  "Thank  you." 

And  this  is  the  same  Snickuls  that  lay  in  the  covered 
wagon  fast  asleep. 

CHAPTER  III. 

One  day  in  Summer,  about  a  year  after  what  was 
related  in  the  last  chapter,  Snickuls  was  trudging  along 
the  road  on  the  outskirts  of  Batesville  singing,  when 
he  saw  a  boy,  near  eight  years  old,  lying  on  the  ground 
at  the  side  of  the  road  crying. 

He  went  over  to  the  boy's  side  and  touched  him 
gently  on  the  back,  inquiring:  "What's  the  matter, 
Buddy?  Get  up  and  tell  me." 

Snickuls  had  a  pleasant  voice  and  was  an  attractive 
man  most  any  time,  especially  when  not  drunk,  which 
happened  to  be  the  case  today. 

The  boy  sat  up  and  replied,  weeping  the  more,  as 
he  held  his  hands  over  his  eyes: 

"My  mother  is  dead!" 

Snickuls  sat  down  by  him,  took  one  hand,  put  his 
arm  around  him,  pulling  his  head  over  on  his  shoulder 
and  saying:  "I  am  so  sorry,  so  sorry!  Where  do  you 
live?" 

"Over  there  in  that  little  house,"  answered  the  boy, 
looking  up  into  Snickuls'  face.  He  talked  to  the  little 
fellow  for  a  while  and  soothed  him,  and  found  out 
the  following  facts: 

The  boy's  mother  was  a  widow,  about  thirty-five, 
who  had  moved  into  the  house  one  week  before,  and 
had  been  taken  ill  with  fainting  spells  and  suddenly 
died  alone  with  her  only  child. 

Snickuls  took  the  ragged  boy  with  him  to  town  and 
gave  him  a  meal  in  a  saloon.  He  then  informed  a 
policeman  and  undertaker  of  the  death  of  Tommy 


18  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Dust's  mother — for  that  was  his  name — and  then  went 
with  him  to  Colonel  Berry's  great  office  in  The  Dis 
tillery. 

The  young  clerk  who  came  to  the  railing  that  sep 
arated  the  public  from  the  area,  where  a  great  many 
clerks  were  working  inside,  knew  Snickuls  well,  for  the 
latter  had  been  a  welcome  visitor  to  Colonel  Berry 
many  a  time,  and  he  now  said: 

"Wait  a  minute  and  I  will  see  if  The  Colonel  is  in 
his  private  office." 

Snickuls  was  conducted  to  the  Colonel's  beautiful 
private  office.  He  had  the  ragged  little  boy  by  the  hand 
and,  when  the  door  was  opened,  Colonel  Berry  arose 
from  his  cushioned  chair  and  warmly  grasped  Snickuls' 
hand,  saying:  "So  glad  to  see  you,  Snickuls!  and  who 
is  this  with  you?  He  would  be  a  good-looking  boy 
if  he  had  his  face  washed  and  a  new  suit  of  clothes  on." 

The  Colonel  made  Snickuls  sit  down  in  one  of  his 
elegant  office  chairs,  who  took  Tommy  Dust  on  his  lap 
and  told  the  Colonel  where  he  had  found  him  and 
about  his  mother's  death. 

Colonel  Berry  sat  in  deep  thought  for  a  few  moments 
and  then  took  a  seat  at  his  writing  desk,  saying:  "The 
first  thing  I  want  you  to  do  is  to  go  with  Tommy  to  a 
clothing  store  and  get  him  a  nice  suit  of  clothes  and 
also  some  shoes.  As  you  go  out  present  this  order, 
Snickuls,  to  the  cashier's  desk  and  he  will  give  you 
ten  dollars. 

"And  I  will  write  you  a  note  to  Frank  Hinsdale, 
proprietor  of  Hinsdale  Hotel,  asking  him  to  give  Tommy 
a  job  as  bellboy." 

When  The  Colonel  had  finished  writing  the  note,  he 
arose,  handed  it  and  the  order  to  Snickuls  and  at  the 
same  time  slipped  a  five  dollar  bill  into  the  hand  of 
his  old  friend,  and  then  patted  the  boy  on  the  head. 
Snickuls  grasped  The  Colonel's  hand  and  left. 

When  Tommy  Dust  had  his  face  washed  and  was 
well  dressed  he  was  a  bright,  manly  little  fellow,  and 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  19 

so  thought  Frank  Hinsdale,  who  conducted  the  best 
hotel  in  the  city.  Tommy  became  a  bellboy  and  very 
soon  one  of  the  important  characters  of  the  place;  but, 
as  time  went  on,  Tommy  Dust  never  forgot  Snickuls — 
his  friend  in  need. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  day  after  Alvin  Berry  came  from  college  he 
asked  his  father  if  he  could  help  him  in  any  way  that 
day. 

"Yes,  son,  you  can  help  me,"  answered  The  Colonel. 
"I  am  in  a  hurry  for  some  hops  I  purchased  from  Mr. 
Bolton.  His  place  is  about  ten  miles  from  here  and  I 
wish  you  would  take  my  buggy,  drive  over  there  and 
tell  him  to  send  what  I  ordered  right  away. 

"You  might  travel  over  the  country  many  times  and 
would  not  have  any  occasion  to  use  them,  son,  but  I 
think  you  had  better  take  a  brace  of  revolvers  with 
you,  which  I  know  you  are  well  able  to  use. 

"For  many  years,  son,  there  was  not  a  man  in  the 
country  who  would  do  me  or  mine  any  harm;  but  you 
know  how  this  new  element,  led  by  Major  Ashcraft's 
crowd,  Rev.  Peter  Nostir's  church  people  and  Miss 
Hurryup,  of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.,  is  showing  such  great 
animosity  to  us. 

"Always  try  to  keep  out  of  a  quarrel  or  fight,  son, 
but  if  you  are  forced  into  it,  fight  to  win  every  time!" 

"I  will  do  just  as  you  say,  father,"  said  Alvin,  stand 
ing  before  him  in  the  sitting  room,  as  he  strapped  a  belt 
around  his  waist,  holding  two  loaded  six-shooters, 
which  he  used  to  practice  with  every  day  at  college. 

Having  delivered  his  message  to  Mr.  Bolton  in  the 
country,  Alvin  thought  he  would  drive  a  different  road 
in  going  home;  but  he  had  not  proceeded  far  before  he 
lost  his  points  of  the  compass.  The  road  seemed  to 
become  fainter  as  it  led  through  deep  stretches  of  forest. 


20  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Alvin  was  driving  slowly,  looking  keenly  around  and 
ahead,  for  he  feared  he  was  lost,  when  he  suddenly 
heard  two  angry  men's  voices  near  by,  as  if  quarreling, 
coming  through  the  trees  and  bushes. 

One  voice  exclaimed:   "You  shall  not  have  her!" 
"Damn   you,   I   will   have  her!"   shouted   the   other 
voice.    Then  came  a  plantive  woman's  voice:  "Oh,  boys, 
I   cannot   decide!     Please   stop  pulling  me!     Oh,   God, 
have  mercy  on  me!" 

Alvin  got  out  of  the  buggy  and  tied  his  horse  quickly 
to  a  tree,  and  he  heard  the  quarrel  continue.  One  man 
said:  "But,  Ella,  you  have  got  to  have  me!"  "No,  Ella, 
come  with  me!"  said  the  other. 

Alvin  pushed  the  bushes  cautiously  aside  and  saw 
two  strong  young  men,  each  holding  an  arm  of  a  very 
pretty  girl,  and  trying  to  pull  her  his  way.  As  she 
protested  she  seemed  as  if  she  would  faint.  He  stepped 
out  from  the  bushes  into  the  open  ground  near  them, 
where  they  could  see  him  and  said  to  the  young  men: 
"What  is  the  matter,  gentlemen?  Let  me  be  your 
umpire !" 

They  turned  fiery  eyes  upon  him,  but  saw  that  Alvin 
Berry  was  a  young  man  of  commanding  appearance 
and  of  some  parts.  One  of  them  replied: 

"This  girl  promised  to  marry  me  and  I  am  going 
to  have  her!"  "No,  she  promised  to  marry  me  and  I 
will  have  her!"  exclaimed  the  other. 

"But  what  does  the  girl  say?  Can  you  not  leave 
it  to  her?"  asked  Alvin. 

"I  do  not  know  what  I  said!"  exclaimed  the  girl, 
crying.  One  of  the  men  drew  a  revolver  and  said: 
"Well,  if  you  accept  him  I  will  kill  him  on  the  spot!" 
and  the  other  man  replied,  drawing  his  revolver:  "And 
if  you  accept  him  he  will  not  live  one  second!" 

"Stop!"  commanded  Alvin,  "It  seems  to  me  you  ought 
to  settle  this  matter  peacefully  some  way." 

"No,  by  G !  one  of  us  has  got  to  die  right  here!" 

exclaimed  one. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  21 

"Yes,  right  here!"  replied  the  other,  and  they  let  go 
the  girl's  arm.  Alvin  stepped  between  them  and  said: 

"Now,  men,  if  you  are  determined  to  fight  this  matter 
out,  do  it  fairly  and  do  not  take  any  advantage  of  each 
other.  Gome  out  here  in  the  open  ground  and  I  will 
step  off  twenty  paces  and  you  can  fight  it  out  I"  They 
left  the  girl  and  went  with%  Alvin  a  few  yards  in  front 
of  her. 

Alvin  stood  one  man  on  a  spot,  with  his  right  hand 
and  arm  by  his  side,  holding  his  revolver.  He  then 
stepped  off  twenty  paces  from  him  and  stood  the  other 
man  on  a  spot,  with  right  hand  and  arm  down  by  his 
side,  the  right  side  of  each  man  toward  the  other. 

"Now,  gentlemen,  hold  up  your  hands  and  swear 
that  neither  one  will  raise  his  arm  and  fire  until  I 
count  three!"  The  men  held  up  their  left  hands. 

"Are  you  ready?"  called  out  Alvin. 

"Ready!"  both  men  answered. 

In  a  strong,  steady  tone  Alvin  called  again: 

"One — two — three!"  and  two  shots  rang  out. 

Both  young  men  lay  on  the  ground.  The  girl,  clasp 
ing  her  hands  in  terror,  ran  to  one  first  and  then  the 
other,  followed  by  Alvin,  who  bent  over  them  and  list 
ened  for  their  heartbeats  and  felt  their  pulses.  "Both 
dead!"  pronounced  Alvin. 

The  girl  became  so  hysterical  that  Alvin  did  not 
know  what  to  do;  but  he  thought  it  would  be  best  to 
have  her  give  vent  to  her  emotion  for  a  short  time. 
She  wrung  her  hands  and  cried:  "Oh,  God!  just  to 
think  I  was  the  cause  of  all  this!"  and  kept  saying  it. 
At  last  Alvin  said:  "It  was  not  your  doings  at  all. 
Gome  over  to  that  little  brook  and  sit  down  and  I 
will  explain  it  to  you." 

With  bent  head  and  hands  up  to  her  face  she  allowed 
Alvin  to  lead  her  to  the  brook,  where  he  seated  her 
and  sat  by  her  side,  saying: 

"You  did  not  love  either  one  of  them,  did  you?" 


22  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"I  thought  I  did!"  sobbed  the  girl,  "when  each  one 
kept  after  me;  but,  when  I  came  to  marry,  I  could 
not." 

She  told  him  that  she  lived  with  her  aunt  in  Ten- 
nesseana,  where  the  two  men  lived  also.  They  were 
so  aggressive  in  their  attentions  to  her  that  she  ran 
away  and  took  a  stage  to  go  to  her  uncle's  farm;  but 
she  saw  first  one  and  then  the  other  of  the  young  men 
following  the  stage  on  horseback. 

When  the  stage  stopped  the  night  before  at  an  inn, 
knowing  that  both  men  had  come  to  the  inn,  she  crept 
out  in  the  night,  and  thought  if  she  could  reach  a  neigh 
boring  town  she  could  elude  them;  but  she  had  not 
gone  very  far  before  one  of  the  young  men  overtook 
her,  then  the  other,  both  trying  to  persuade  her  to  go 
with  him. 

"Well,  under  the  circumstances  I  do  not  think  you 
were  at  all  to  blame.  We  are  all  liable  to  be  mistaken 
in  our  feelings  at  times;  but,  finally,  in  choosing  a 
mate,  what  one's  own  heart  tells  him  to  do  is  right. 
It  is  the  supreme  tribunal  in  the  Government  of  Love. 

"When  your  heart  said  no,  you  had  a  right  to  refuse 
both  of  them." 

"Do  you  think  so?"  said  she,  grasping  his  hand  with 
both  of  hers  and  looking  into  his  face  so  trustingly. 

"Yes,  I  do,"  answered  Alvin.  "Gome  with  me  and 
we  will  leave  this  place." 

They  went  and  got  into  the  buggy  and  Alvin  drove 
through  the  woods,  where  there  was  no  road,  for  a 
long  distance,  so  his  buggy  wheels  would  not  show  as 
coming  from  the  scene  of  the  combat. 

It  was  way  in  the  night  when  Alvin  reached  Bates- 
ville.  The  girl  had  said  very  little,  but  took  hold  of 
his  arm  by  his  side  as  he  drove,  as  if  trusting  him 
and  being  very  much  afraid. 

He  saw  her  several  times  looking  up  into  his  face 
and  noticed  how  pretty  she  was  again;  but  his  mind 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  23 

turned  to  another  soft  face,  whom  he  had  often  seen 
in  bygone  days  at  another  brook. 

The  streets  of  Batesville  were  deserted,  but  as  he 
drove  toward  his  father's  large  Distillery,  he  saw  a  man 
skulking  in  the  shadows  of  the  great  building.  The 
moon  came  out  and  fell  on  the  face  of  a  person  he 
knew,  but  had  not  seen  for  four  years.  "Albert  Luxy!" 
he  said  to  himself,  "I  wonder  what  he  is  doing  there 
this  time  of  night!"  Alvin  drove  up  in  front  of  The 
Distillery,  for  he  could  see  the  girl  was  very  cold. 

The  night  watchman  saw  him,  knew  him,  came  up 
to  the  buggy  and  said:  "What  can  I  do  for  you,  Mr. 
Alvin?" 

"This  young  lady  is  a  friend  of  our  family  and  I 
have  brought  her  from  Bolton's.  She  is  very  cold. 
Have  you  a  fire  in  the  office?"  answered  Alvin. 

"Yes,  sir;  let  me  tie  your  horse!  Now  come  with 
me,  both  of  you,  and  I  will  stir  up  the  fire!"  exclaimed 
the  watchman,  as  he  led  them  up  the  great  steps  and 
into  the  main  office. 

When  they  entered  The  Distillery  building,  Albert 
Luxy  came  out  of  the  shadows  and  hurried  down  the 
street,  until  he  came  to  a  sign  over  the  front  of  a  build 
ing,  marked:  "The  Clarion,"  which  was  the  Prohibi 
tion  organ,  or  newspaper,  of  Batesville. 

Passing  around  to  a  side  door  he  gave  a  low  knock, 
and  as  a  door  opens  he  disappears  inside;  but  he  does 
not  see  Snickuls  following  him.  The  clock  of  the  Town 
Hall  then  struck  two  o'clock. 

Alvin  did  not  like  to  rouse  his  father's  family  so 
late,  and  he  did  not  like  to  go  to  the  hotel  with  the 
girl,  for  fear  of  wagging,  scandulous  tongues;  so  they 
concluded  to  sit  in  the  office  till  morning,  which 
appeared  very  soon.  As  soon  as  it  was  seven  o'clock 
Alvin  gave  the  girl  some  money,  told  her  where  the 
Hinsdale  Hotel  was  and  to  go  there,  to  get  her  break 
fast  and  a  room,  where  she  could  get  some  rest,  for 
she  had  been  up  all  night. 


24  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

This  was  done  in  a  private  office,  but  the  door  was 
open  into  the  main  office,  where  clerks  were  coming 
and  going.  Alvin  took  a  letterhead  from  a  drawer,  sat 
at  a  desk  and  wrote: 

BERRY  &  SON, 

Distillers. 
Mr.  Frank  Hinsdale: 

This  will  introduce  Miss  Ella  Rowe,  who  is  looking 
for  employment.  If  you  can  assist  her  it  would  be 
appreciated  by,  Yours  truly, 

BERRY  &  SON. 

"After  you  have  had  a  good  sleep,  give  that  to  Mr. 
or  Mrs.  Hinsdale,  and  I  think  you  will  get  some  suitable 
employment  in  the  hotel,  such  as  waitress  or  chamber 
maid.  I  have  given  you  that  name,  for  you  do  not  want 
to  go  by  your  own  name  on  account  of  the  occurrences 
of  last  night. 

"The  officers  of  the  law  will  be  looking,  no  doubt, 
to  find  any  parties  connected  with  the  tragedy,  whom, 
if  they  should  find,  it  would  be  unpleasant  for  us  both; 
so  keep  the  whole  matter  secret."  Ella  Rowe  took 
the  letter  and  with  tears  in  her  eyes  left  the  office. 

After  having  a  good  sleep  at  the  Hinsdale  Hotel 
she  found  Mrs.  Hinsdale  in  one  of  the  halls  and  pre 
sented  her  letter.  Pleased  at  the  looks  of  the  girl,  and 
needing  help,  she  gave  Ella  employment  as  chamber 
maid. 

Alvin  Berry  was  very  tired  and  sleepy  and  his  nerves 
rather  upset,  so  he  thought  he  would  go  home,  get  some 
sleep  and  tell  his  father  of  the  occurrences  of  the  last 
night. 

A  clerk  came  in  and  announced  that  his  buggy  had 
been  brought  to  the  door  by  a  groom.  He  closed  his 
desk,  passed  through  the  office,  then  down  the  great 
stone  steps  to  the  street,  where  he  found  his  buggy. 
Just  then  Snickuls  came  up  and  handed  him  a  paper, 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  25 

with  something  in  it  marked.  He  whispered  in  his 
ear  quickly:  "Albert  Luxy,"  and  then  toddled  along 
humming  a  tune. 

Alvin  took  the  reins  from  the  groom  and  drove 
towards  his  father's  great  residence,  which  was  about 
one  mile  away.  In  a  few  moments  he  took  from  his 
pocket  "The  Clarion,"  and  read  an  item  in  the  paper 
that  Snickuls  had  marked.  It  read: 

"It  is  a  pity  that  the  young  men  of  the  town  should 
stay  up  so  late  at  night,  driving  fast  horses  and  accom 
panied  by  women  of  doubtful  reputation.  One  of  the 
prominent  young  men  of  that  class,  who  has  just 
returned  from  college,  was  seen  last  night,  racing  down 
the  street,  in  the  early  morning,  before  day,  accom 
panied  by  a  woman. 

"They  secretly  went  into  one  of  the  most  prominent 
buildings  of  the  city;  for  what  purpose,  at  that  time  of 
night,  is  to  be  conjectured.  As  most  all  the  troubles 
of  the  world  can  be  traced  to  the  liquor  traffic,  it  is  to 
be  presumed  that  it  is  the  same  old  story — Whisky, 
Carousal  and  Women." 

Alvin  crumpled  the  paper  violently  in  his  hand  and 
ground  his  teeth  in  rage,  and  his  hand  jerked  the  reins 
so  hard  from  shaking  that  the  horse  stopped.  In  a  few 
moments  he  was  more  composed,  and  said  to  himself 
as  he  drove  along: 

"Yes,  Snickuls,  you  are  right;  it  is  Albert  Luxy's 
doings.  I  thought  he  was  up  to  some  deviltry  last 
night  when  I  saw  him  dodging  in  those  shadows." 

And  then  Alvin  knew  that  Luxy  would  circulate, 
by  word  of  mouth,  all  the  stories  he  could  about  him, 
in  an  underhanded  way.  He  wondered  if  Henrietta 
would  hear  of  these  lying  insinuations  about  him?  Of 
course  she  would,  for  was  not  Luxy's  aunt  a  part  of 
Major  Ashcraft's  household? 

As  he  drove  up  the  driveway  that  passed  through 
beautiful  lawns,  flower  beds  and  hedges,  he  saw  his 
father  sitting  on  the  broad  porch,  with  anxious  face, 


26  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

waiting  for  him.     One  of  the  gardeners  took  his  horse 
and  buggy,  and  as  he  went  up  the  front  steps  his  father 
grasped  his  hand  and  put  his  arms  around  him,  asking: 
"Where  have  you  been  so  long,  son?" 

Alvin  answered:  "Do  not  ask  me  now,  father,  please. 
I  have  a  secret  to  tell  only  you.  All  I  can  say  now  is 
that  I  got  lost  and  am  dreadful  tired  and  hungry. 
Mother  will  get  me  something  to  eat  and  I  will  get 
some  sleep.  You  go  down-town,  father,  and  I  will  see 
you  tonight." 

Alvin  went  in  to  see  his  mother,  embraced  her,  and 
went  to  bed. 

When  Colonel  Berry  came  home  that  night,  after 
supper  Alvin  took  him  out  to  a  cool  bench  on  the  lawn 
and  told  him  about  the  duel  and  how  he  had  helped 
Ella  Rowe,  and  also  about  the  connection  that  Albert 
Luxy  and  Snickuls  had  with  the  article  in  "The 
Clarion,"  the  Prohibitionist  organ. 

He  then  took  the  paper  from  his  pocket  and  pointed 
it  out  to  The  Colonel,  who  took  it  to  a  nearby  electric 
lamp  and  read  it  slowly,  his  hand  clenching  and  his 
form  shaking  as  he  read.  The  Colonel  stepped  quickly 
back  to  his  son,  sitting  on  the  bench,  and  exclaimed: 
"Alvin,  that  is  damnable,  infamous  and  cowardly!  But 
let  me  think!"  The  Colonel  walked  up  and  down  before 
Alvin  for  some  time  before  he  said  anything  more,  and 
then,  in  a  quieter  tone,  exclaimed:  "Son,  if  I  had  been 
in  your  place  last  night,  I  would  have  done  just  what 
you  did,  as  any  courteous,  chivalrous  man  would  do. 
In  regard  to  'The  Clarion'  and  the  scandal  mongers,  we 
cannot  do  anything  with  them  at  present,  for,  in  attack 
ing  you,  they  have  not  mentioned  any  names  in  the 
article,  and  if  we  take  the  matter  up  you  will  have  to 
explain  your  connection  with  Ella  Rowe  and  the  duel, 
which  will  give  more  trouble  and  annoyance  all  around. 

"My  first  feeling  was  to  take  a  revolver  and  go  and 
clean  out  the  whole  crowd;  but  I  guess  it  would  be 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  27 

wisdom    to    swallow    our    indignation    and    await    the 
future." 

Alvin  and  his  father  sat  on  the  bench  and  talked 
a  long  time  and  then  went  in  and  went  to  bed. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Let  us  go  back  to  Snickuls,  fast  asleep  in  the  wagon. 
He  did  not  know  how  long  he  had  slept,  but  was 
awakened  by  the  sound  of  voices  coming  from  the 
open  window.  Snickuls  took  out  an  old  watch  he  had, 
as  he  lay  there,  and  saw  it  was  quarter  to  three  o'clock. 
He  heard  a  woman's  voice,  saying: 

"Now,  Deacon  Going,  you  know  I  was  perfectly 
satisfied  with  the  house  I  had  at  eleven  dollars  per 
month,  which  included  water  rent,  as  is  usual,  and  you 
told  me  you  would  give  me  one  of  your  houses  for 
ten  dollars,  and  it  would  not  cost  me  any  more;  and 
now  you  want  me  to  pay  the  water  rent,  or  they  will 
shut  it  off!" 

"Well,  I  did  tell  you  that;  but  ten  dollars  is  too 
little  for  the  house  and  you  will  have  to  pay  water 
rent  or  get  out!"  exclaimed  Deacon  Going. 

"It  has  cost  me  ten  dollars  to  move  into  your  house 
and  will  cost  me  as  much  to  move  into  another,  and 
I  do  not  know  where  to  get  a  house,"  said  the  woman, 
crying. 

"Well,  either  pay  the  water  rent  or  get  out!" 
answered  the  Deacon. 

"Nice  Christian!  is  he  not?"  exclaimed  Snickuls  in 
a  whisper. 

Soon  another  voice  came  from  the  window — that 
of  a  man:  "Deacon  Going,  when  I  leased  that  rooming 
house  from  you,  you  told  me  if  my  wife  would  keep 
those  rooms  full  we  could  make  one  hundred  dollars 
a  month  clear  of  all  expenses.  I  told  you  I  would  not 
take  it  unless  you  would  guarantee  it,  and  you  said: 
'I  will  guarantee  it,  most  positively'! 

"Now,  Deacon  Going,  we  have  kept  the  rooms  full 
for  three  months  and  we  find  we  cannot  make  a  cent 


28  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

over  your  rent  and  the  expenses;  we  want  to  give  up 
the  house  and  get  our  lease  back!" 

"You  cannot  give  up  the  house  and  you  will  not 
get  your  lease  back!  You  have  signed  a  lease  for  three 
years  and  if  you  do  not  pay  the  rent  I  will  attach 
your  furniture!"  answered  The  Deacon. 

"But,  Deacon,  you  lay  yourself  liable  to  getting  a 
lease  and  obtaining  money  under  false  pretenses,  it 
seems  to  me;  for  you  positively  guaranteed  that  we 
would  clear  one  hundred  dollars  per  month;  and  on 
that  consideration  I  signed  the  lease!"  said  the  man. 

"Well,  Brickley,  you  know  a  real  estate  man  has  to 
promise  all  sorts  of  things — ha!  ha!  ha! — but  there  is 
nothing  in  the  instrument  to  that  effect,  and  you  know 
words  are  wind!" 

"Shining  light  in  the  church!"  muttered  Snickuls 
through  his  set  teeth. 

Mr.  Brickley  continued:  "Have  you  no  honor  about 
you?  Did  you  not  guarantee,  positively,  before  I  would 
sign  the  lease,  that  we  would  clear  one  hundred  dollars 
a  month  above  all  expenses?" 

"Yes,  I  did  guarantee  it,  but  you  and  I  were  alone 
and  there  were  no  witnesses;  so  you  see  that  does  not 
count,  as  my  word  is  just  as  good  as  yours!"  exclaimed 
The  Deacon. 

At  this  Snickuls  arose  on  his  elbow  and  shook  his 
fist  at  the  window. 

Mr.  Brickley  spoke  again:  "I  am  going  to  court  and 
have  you  arrested  for  obtaining  a  lease  and  money 
under  false  pretenses!" 

"Now,  Brickley,  be  calm!  Be  calm!  The  court 
would  only  consider  the  terms  of  the  written  lease, 
which  is  decidedly  against  you.  If  you  were  to  swear 
I  guaranteed  anything,  I  would  swear  just  the  opposite, 
and  my  word  is  just  as  good  as  yours.  You  see,  you 
have  no  witness  in  your  favor  to  my  guarantee;  and, 
another  thing,  if  you  were  to  have  me  arrested,  and 
could  not  prove  your  case,  I  would  make  you  pay 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  29 

heavily,  which  would  be  quite  profitable  to  me!" 
answered  The  Deacon. 

"The  hell  you  would!"  exclaimed  Snickuls  to  him 
self. 

"Well,  Deacon  Going,  I  am  going  to  see  my  lawyer," 
came  the  voice  of  Brickley;  to  which  the  Deacon 
answered:  "Perfectly  welcome!  Perfectly  welcome!  I 
have  several;  employ  them  the  year  around,  and  see 
some  of  them  every  day!"  then  all  was  still. 

Snickuls  peeped  through  a  small  slit  in  the  canvas 
of  the  wagon  and  looked  into  the  window. 

The  Deacon  went  to  the  door  to  his  outside  offices 
and  locked  it  carefully,  and  then  opened  a  small  closet 
with  a  key,  took  out  a  large  bottle,  raised  it  to  his  lips 
and  took  a  long  drink.  Snickuls  had  good  eyes  and  he 
could  see  on  the  bottle:  "Old  Bourbon." 

The  Deacon  put  the  bottle  back,  locked  it  up  and 
then  went  to  his  large  iron  safe;  but  before  he  opened 
it  he  came  to  the  window  and  looked  out  all  around. 
The  big  wagon  seemed  to  be  suspicious;  but  he  could 
see  partly  into  it  and  there  was  nothing  there.  Snickuls 
had  made  himself  small  and  hugged  close  to  the  wall 
of  the  wagon. 

Seeing  no  one,  the  Deacon  went  to  the  safe,  quickly 
opened  it  and  took  out  a  box,  from  which  he  drew  a 
bundle  of  bonds.  It  was  a  little  dark  in  the  office,  so 
he  came  not  far  from  the  window  and  Snickuls  saw 
him  count  over  twenty-one  thousand  dollar  United 
States  3  per  cent  bonds.  He  held  them  in  his  hands 
with  a  broad  smile  and  Snickuls  heard  him  soliloquize: 
"When  I  came  here  five  years  ago  I  had  nothing." 

The  Deacon  heard  a  knock  coming  from  his  outside 
office  and  he  hurriedly  placed  the  bonds  back  into  the 
box  and  put  it  in  the  safe,  and  then  went  to  the  door 
and  unlocked  it. 

A  clerk  was  at  the  door  with  a  frail  woman  of  about 
forty,  who,  with  a  sad  face,  stepped  in  timidly  and 
sat  down  in  a  chair  not  far  from  The  Deacon's  desk, 


30 

who  closed  the  door,  took  a  seat  at  his  desk,  twirled 
his  thumbs,  and  said: 

"What  can  I  do  for  you,  Mrs.  Sugsby?  Have  you 
come  to  pay  me  the  last  of  that  ten  per  cent  commission 
I  charged  you  for  getting  that  loan?  I  believe  you 
have  paid  all  except  fifteen  dollars  out  of  the  one  hun 
dred  dollars  commission,  have  you  not?  Oh,  I  think 
your  mortgage  for  one  thousand  dollars  is  about  due 
also,  is  it  not?"  The  woman  began  to  cry. 

"What  are  you  crying  about,  Mrs.  Sugsby?"  asked 
The  Deacon  in  a  cold  voice. 

"You  told  me,  when  I  borrowed  that  money  two 
years  ago  and  mortgaged  my  house  for  one  thousand 
dollars,  that  it  was  somebody  else's  money,  and  he 
would  have  to  have  eight  per  cent  interest,  and  a  man 
told  me  the  other  day  that  the  legal  rate  is  only  six 
per  cent;  and  you  said  that  to  pay  you  for  the  trouble 
you  would  have  to  have  a  commission  of  ten  per  cent 
besides.  He  says  you  are  lending  your  own  money 
and  it  amounts  to  you  getting  eighteen  per  cent  out 
of  me!"  Here  the  woman  began  to  cry  so  hard  she 
could  not  talk. 

"Tut,  tut,  madam!  The  man  is  crazy.  It  is  cus 
tomary  to  charge  interest  and  commission.  When  is 
your  mortgage  due?"  exclaimed  The  Deacon. 

"You — have — no  right — to — charge  me — eight  per 
cent — by  law — Dea — con  Going!"  sobbed  Mrs.  Sugsby. 

"Then  I  would  have  to  charge  you  more  commis 
sion,"  answered  the  Deacon.  "When  is  your  mortgage 
due?"  Mrs.  Sugsby  answered: 

"I  cannot  pay  the  mortgage;  it  is  due  next  week,  on 
Wednesday.  Can  you  not  extend  it?  If  you  do  extend 
it,  I  do  not  know  how  I  can  pay  the  interest  on  it!" 

"No,"  replied  The  Deacon,  "I  cannot  extend  it,  for 
your  house  has  depreciated  greatly  in  value  on  account 
of  that  flood  that  undermined  it,  and  I  do  not  believe 
any  one  would  lend  you  one  thousand  dollars  on  it 
again,  or  much  less.  If  you  do  not  pay  the  mortgage 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  31 

next  week  it  will  have  to  be  foreclosed  and  sold  out; 
so  you  had  better  pay  up  promptly!" 

The  woman  began  to  cry  still  harder,  saying:  "Oh, 
Lord!  Oh,  Lord!  What  shall  I  do?" 

"Well,  Mrs.  Sugsby,  I  have  an  engagement  at  this 
moment,  and  will  have  to  hurry  up-town;  so  I  will 
have  to  lock  my  door,"  exclaimed  The  Deacon,  as  he 
partly  bowed  and  partly  pushed  Mrs.  Sugsby  out  into 
the  outside  office  and  then  locked  the  door.  The  Deacon 
now  alone,  Snickuls  heard  him  mutter  to  himself:  "If 
she  pays  the  mortgage  I  have  made  a  fine  thing  out  of 
it,  and  if  I  have  to  foreclose,  I  will  get  a  fine  piece  of 
ground,  which  will  be  worth  five  thousand  dollars  in 
three  years." 

Snickuls  could  stand  it  no  longer,  and  watching  when 
The  Deacon  was  looking  the  other  way,  he  climbed 
down  quickly  from  the  wagon  and  soon  was  out  on 
the  main  street. 

Hurrying  along,  he  soon  saw  Mrs.  Sugsby,  with 
bowed  head  and  staggering  step,  moving  slowly  along 
ahead  of  him.  He  took  out  an  old  piece  of  paper  from 
his  pocket,  went  up  to  the  wall  and  wrote  on  it: 

"Mrs.  Sugsby,  take  this  to  Colonel  Berry  tomorrow 
(Sunday)  at  his  summer  garden;  give  it  to  him,  and  I 
think  he  will  help  you  in  money  matters." 

The  note  to  Colonel  Berry  read: 

"Colonel  Berry,  this  is  my  friend. 

"Yours  truly, 

"SNICKULS." 

He  then  stepped  quickly  forward,  touched  her  on 
the  arm,  and  handed  her  the  paper,  bowed  and  dodged 
into  a  side  alley.  She  stopped  in  a  store  entrance,  care 
fully  opened  the  note  and  read  it  twice,  and  then  her 
face  brightened.  Folding  it  up  carefully  she  put  it 
into  her  pocket  and  went  toward  her  home  quickly. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Snickuls  was  everywhere.  He  would  be  on  Main 
Street  in  the  forenoon  and  in  most  any  part  of  the 


32  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

county  in  the  afternoon.  He  was  popular  with  the 
young  men,  women  and  children,  for  he  was  witty 
and  full  of  fun  and  everybody  was  glad  to  see  him. 

As  he  passed  the  Hinsdale  Hotel  he  saw  Tommy 
Dust  standing  in  the  entrance,  who  smiled  and  said: 
"Where  are  you  going?" 

Snickuls  pressed  his  hand  and  answered:  "Tonight 
I  am  going  to  the  Prohibition  meeting.  Want  to  tell 
you  something,  at  the  usual  place,  Tommy.  In  a  hurry 
now,"  and  he  hustled  on,  leaving  Tommy  laughing  at 
Snickuls  going  to  a  Prohibition  meeting. 

Tommy  walked  back  into  the  hotel,  went  behind 
the  desk  and  looked  at  the  "Gall  Book,"  for  some  guests, 
who  had  come  in  the  night,  wanted  to  be  called  soon, 
so  they  would  not  oversleep  themselves.  Mr.  Hinsdale 
had  gone  out  and  there  was  nobody  there  except 
Tommy.  This  was  frequently  the  case,  for,  strange 
to  say,  though  so  young,  he  knew  the  business  from 
the  top  of  the  house  to  the  furnace  room. 

Frank  Hinsdale  was  a  good  hotel  man  and  he  had 
built  his  hotel  well.  The  office  was  large,  and  had  easy 
chairs  scattered  around  for  the  numerous  guests  who 
came  and  went.  There  were  small  and  large  dining 
rooms  and  a  fine  bar,  with  rooms  attached,  where  men 
could  have  a  nice  little  card  game,  provided  the  "moral 
wave"  was  not  at  too  high  a  tide. 

Though  never  engaging  in  politics,  Hinsdale  was 
very  politic,  adapting  himself  and  his  actions  to  his 
surroundings,  and  he  was  "all  things  to  all  men."  When 
a  preacher,  prohibitionist  or  reformer  came  into  his 
hotel  he  could  talk  religion  with  such,  and  when  a 
saloonkeeper,  horseracer  or  gambler  made  his  appear 
ance,  Frank  Hinsdale  was  equally  at  home  with  them. 

Yet  Frank  was  a  shrewd,  good-natured,  kind  man 
at  heart.  About  thirty-five  years  old,  he  was  of  medium 
size  and  florid  complexion,  and  had  blue  eyes;  his  wife 
was  dark. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  33 

Frank  knew  that  the  quickest  way  to  put  money  in 
his  pocket— which  he  had  been  very  successful  in 
doing— was  to  please  the  public  and  not  betray  the 
weaknesses  and  confidences  of  his  guests.  He  used  to 
tell  Tommy  Dust  very  emphatically:  "Tommy,  it  makes 
no  difference  what  you  see  in  the  hotel,  hold  your 
tongue  about  it;  that  is  absolutely  necessary  in  a  hotel 
man.  If  a  man  eats  too  much,  drinks  too  much,  swears 
too  much,  or  plays  cards  too  much,  or  a  woman  flirts 
too  much,  dips  snuff,  smokes  in  her  room  and  takes 
her  toddy,  never  mention  it. 

"If  you  have  eyes,  Tommy,  never  see  anything,  and 
if  you  have  ears,  never  hear  anything." 

The  same  advice  he  gave  to  the  porter  and  all  his 
help;  but  they  came  and  went,  whereas  Tommy  seemed 
to  stick  and  become  a  part  of  the  hotel.  He  had  become 
very  well  trained  and  valuable  to  his  employer. 

Though  acting  as  a  bellboy,  Tommy,  when  necessary, 
would  wait  on  table,  would  black  a  man's  shoes,  wait 
on  the  bar,  cook  a  short  order  meal,  go  upstairs  and 
make  beds  for  Mrs.  Hinsdale,  collect  bills,  attend  to 
the  fire  stoves  through  the  house  and  the  furnace,  and 
do  most  anything. 

One  time,  when  Tommy  was  temporarily  ill,  Mr. 
Hinsdale  said  to  his  wife:  "Sarah,  I  do  not  know  what 
we  would  do  without  that  boy!" 

Tommy  knew  all  the  secrets  of  the  politicians,  who 
came  to  the  hotel;  of  the  lawyers,  the  doctors,  the  garmV 
lers,  the  preachers,  the  married  women,  the  young 
ladies  and  old  maids.  His  sharp  eyes  and  ears  seemed 
to  fathom  and  get  to  the  bottom  of  everything  that  went 
on,  and  quite  a  little  change  was  slipped  secretly  into 
Tommy's  hands  by  all  kinds  of  people  for  little  favors 
done  in  the  hotel. 

Frank  Hinsdale  knew  this,  but  appeared  not  to  see 
it.  He  was  only  too  glad  he  had  a  boy  who  could  do 
those  things  and  was  discreet  enough  to  hold  his  tongue. 


34  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Though  Tommy  never  talked  about  things  that  hap 
pened  in  the  hotel  to  anyone  else,  there  was  one  person 
to  whom  he  gave  all  his  confidences,  and  that  was  to  his 
friend  Snickuls.  On  the  second  floor  of  the  hotel  was  a 
great  parlor,  with  its  soft  carpets,  piano,  soft  cushioned 
chairs  and  mirrors;  but  there  were  several  other  large 
rooms  on  the  same  floor,  that  Mr.  Hinsdale  had  put  into 
the  hotel  for  conferences  of  all  kinds.  They  had  large 
tables  and  small  tables,  with  writing  material  for  men 
to  use,  when  they  wanted  to  meet  for  any  purposes. 

Sometimes  a  party  of  ministers  would  use  one  of 
these  rooms;  sometimes  politicians;  sometimes  doctors, 
or  any  other  class  of  men  or  women. 

Knowing  how  valuable  secrets  are  sometimes,  Hins 
dale,  when  he  planned  the  hotel,  had  a  secret  stairway 
that  ascended  from  a  closet  at  the  side  of  the  hotel 
office  downstairs  to  a  closet  upstairs,  that  adjoined  one 
of  these  conference  rooms,  in  which,  concealed,  one 
could  hear,  and  even  see,  by  looking  through  a  small 
hole,  everything  that  went  on  in  the  conference  room 
without  the  occupants  having  any  idea  that  anyone 
was  near. 

He  planned  that  no  one  should  know  of  the  existence 
of  the  secret  stairway;  but  Tommy  Dust  had  not  been 
there  five  years  for  nothing. 

One  night  Tommy  was  acting  as  night  clerk — for  the 
regular  night  clerk  was  ill.  About  two  o'clock  everyone 
was  fast  asleep.  Tommy,  sitting  behind  the  desk,  near 
the  office  closet,  observed  a  peculiar  kind  of  crack  in 
the  wall  of  the  closet.  The  more  he  examined  it  inside 
the  closet,  the  more  he  was  convinced  it  was  some  kind 
of  keyhole;  so  he  looks  in  the  desk  drawers  of  Mr. 
Hinsdale  and  finds  a  big  bunch  of  keys,  and  tries  to 
find  one  that  will  go  in  that  crack.  At  last  a  very  thin 
one  slips  in  and  turns  the  lock;  at  which  a  very  narrow 
door  opens  and  Tommy,  almost  frightened,  exclaims  to 
himself:  "Jerusalem!  what  is  that?  It  is  an  iron  stair 
way!"  He  softly  closed  the  small  door,  retreating,  left 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  35 

the  closet,  walked  outside  the  desk  and  looked  around, 
and  went  to  the  front  door  to  see  if  anyone  was  coming; 
then  he  peeped  into  the  barroom  and  saw  that  the 
barkeeper  was  fast  asleep  in  his  chair. 

"Now  I  will  see  what  it  is,"  said  Tommy;  so  he 
opened  the  small  door  in  the  closet  with  the  thin  key 
and  climbed  the  iron  steps  to  the  closet  at  the  top  of  the 
stairs,  and  looks  through  the  hole  into  one  of  the  con 
ference  rooms. 

Mr.  Hinsdale  did  not  know,  until  years  afterwards, 
that  Tommy  knew  anything  about  the  secret  place; 
but  Tommy  had  occasion  to  use  it  many  times. 

Unlike  most  boys,  Tommy  did  not  seem  to  want  to 
get  off  from  work  whenever  he  could,  for  the  hotel  was 
his  home,  and  when  away  he  was  like  a  fish  out  of 
water.  But  there  were  about  two  hours  in  the  day — 
after  supper — that  Tommy  considered  his  own,  and  at 
that  time  he  stepped'  out  on  the  street. 

Even  at  that  time*  if  he  saw  that  Mr.  or  Mrs.  Hins 
dale  needed  him  badly,  he  would  take  hold  and  do 
what  was  necessary  without  asking. 

Tommy  was  the  needle  and  Snickuls  the  magnet  part 
of  the  time,  and  the  other  part  Snickuls  was  the  needle 
and  Tommy  the  magnet.  It  was  strange  that  people 
of  ages  so  far  apart  should  be  so  fond  of  each  other. 
Snickuls  was  of  a  humorous,  jolly  disposition  and  when 
drunk  was  absolutely  funny;  whereas  Tommy,  though 
young,  was  of  a  sober,  serious  disposition. 

When  Colonel  Berry  first  started  in  the  brewery 
business  he  had  a  building  some  five  blocks  from  the 
Hinsdale  Hotel;  but  the  brewery  burned  down,  or  most 
down,  and  The  Colonel  built  a  much  better  one  up  on 
the  side  of  the  hill  near  his  great  distillery. 

The  brick  walls,  iron  columns  and  partially  burned 
timbers  of  the  old  brewery  had  fallen,  in  a  mixed  and 
tangled  mass,  in  all  directions. 

Looking  around  through  the  ruins  about  three  years 
before  this,  Snickuls  had  discovered  that  there  was  a 


36  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

.small  portion  of  the  building  intact,  and  by  crawling 
under  and  between  some  interwoven  timbers  and  por 
tions  of  fallen  walls  he  came  to  a  door  that  opened 
into  one  room,  that  was  somewhat  exposed  to  the  sky, 
which  adjoined  another  entirely  covered  by  debris. 
From  the  first  room  he  passed  through  a  door  into  the 
second,  which  was  very  dark. 

This  second  room  had  been  Colonel  Berry's  private 
office  and  was  very  nicely  furnished,  except  that  the 
heat  and  smoke  of  the  fire  had  discolored  the  walls 
somewhat  and  some  of  the  furniture. 

Snickuls  told  Tommy  of  his  discovery  and  they 
secretly  fixed  it  up  as  their  private  club  room,  where 
they  met  most  every  night  and  talked  and  read,  told 
stories,  played  cards  and  gave  each  other  the  informa 
tion  of  the  day.  Tommy  knew  everything  that  went 
on  in  the  hotel  and  Snickuls  everything  on  the  street 
and  in  the  country  around.  Nobody  knew  of  Snickuls' 
and  Tommy's  club  house,  for  they  were  very  careful, 
when  they  entered  the  ruins,  both  of  them,  to  do  it 
unobserved. 

The  night  before  Snickuls  told  Tommy  he  would 
go  to  the  Prohibition  meeting  he  had  just  lit  the  light 
in  their  club  room,  when  he  heard  Tommy  coming 
through  the  timbers  as  he  sat  down  in  an  easy  chair 
by  a  large  table,  on  which  he  placed  the  lamp. 

"What  do  you  think,  Snickuls?"  said  Tommy,  "Major 
Ashcraft,  Deacon  Going,  Rev.  Peter  Nostir  and  a  whole 
gang  of  Prohibitionists  had  a  secret  meeting  in  Con 
ference  Room  No.  1  today  and  I  heard  every  word  they 
said!" 

"Ha,  ha,  ha!  Ho,  ho,  ho!"  exclaimed  Snickuls,  laughr 
ing,  with  his  chair  and  head  tipped  back.  He  was  a 
little  drunk  tonight  and  Tommy  remonstrated  with  him, 
saying: 

"Hush,  Snickuls!  not  so  loud.  Somebody  might  hear 
us!"  Snickuls  replied: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  37 

"Maj— hie— or  Ashcraft— hie— reminds— hie— me  of 
a — hie — wet  hen — sit — ting — hie — on  rot — hie — on  eggs !" 
They  both  laugh. 

"Now,  Snickuls,  let  me  talk.  You  are  drunk  and  it 
is  my  time  to  have  the  say.  Let  me  tell  you  something; 
they  are  going  to  try  to  close  all  the  saloons  at  twelve 
o'clock  at  night. 

"Tommy  —  hie  —  they  will  —  have  —  hie  — May  —  or 
Homer — but — hie — not  the — hie — Aldermen — hie — and 
Council — hie — Colonel  Ber — hie — ry  will  control — hie — 
them,"  answered  Snickuls.  "And  they  are  going  to  try 
to  get  Albert  Luxy  appointed  secret  detective  to  watch 
the  saloons  when  they  get  the  law  passed,  Snickuls!" 
said  Tommy. 

They  talked  for  about  on  hour,  when  Tommy  crept 
out.  Snickuls  blew  out  the  light,  laid  down  on  a  lounge 
and  went  to  sleep. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

The  Prohibition  forces  had  marshaled  their  full 
strength  that  night,  and  Temperance  Hall  was  crowded 
to  overflowing.  Seated  on  the  platform,  in  center  of 
the  front  row  of  chairs,  was  Mayor  Homer.  On  his 
right  sat  Rev.  Peter  Nostir  and  on  his  left  Major  Ash- 
craft,  who  had  next  to  him  Deacon  Going,  and  a  line 
of  business  men  filled  up  the  chairs  to  the  end  of  the 
row. 

At  the  other  end  of  the  platform  sat  Miss  Lucy 
Hurryup,  dressed  conspicuously,  with  a  band  passed 
over  her  breast  and  shoulder,  on  which  was  printed 
W.  C.  T.  U.  She  was  surrounded  by  a  large  number 
of  women  similarly  dressed. 

With  a  majestic  mien  she  stepped  to  the  desk  at  the 
front  of  the  platform,  rapped  with  a  gavel,  threw  her 
head  back,  her  Roman  nose  into  the  air,  and  in  a  strong 
voice  said: 

"Servants  of  the  Lord!  before  beginning  the  battle 
of  the  Most  High,  we  will  call  on  the  Rev.  Peter  Nostir 
to  lead  us  in  prayer,"  and  she  motioned  for  him  to  come 


38  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

forward  as  she  swept  into  her  chair.  The  Rev.  Nostir 
arose  and  came  to  the  stand  with  pious  attitude.  He 
was  a  thin  man  with  sallow  complexion.  Looking  up 
to  heaven  he  closed  his  eyes  and  said:  "Our  Heavenly 
Father,  send  down  the  deluge  of  Thy  grace,  and  may 
it  wash  all  the  rum  out  of  this  town!  May  it  lift  from 
their  foundations  all  of  the  distilleries,  breweries  and 
saloons  of  our  city  and  land  them  in  the  sea  of  destruc 
tion!" 

"May  those  engaged  in  compounding,  marketing  rum, 
whisky,  ale,  beer  or  any  other  vile  drug  be  swept  into 
the  ocean  of  perdition,  like  Pharoah's  hosts;  and  when 
Thou  hast  brought  Thy  children  of  Israel,  through  the 
Sea  of  Righteousness,  to  the  Holy  Land  of  Prohibition, 
we  will  join  in  Hosannas  to  Thee  for  the  preservation 
of  our  city!" 

"Amen  and  Amen!"  exclaimed  Lucy  Hurryup,  rock 
ing  herself  in  her  chair,  while  all  the  other  women 
echoed  her  words,  and  Deacon  Going  cried  out: 
«A— a— men!" 

"Tommy,"  said  Snickuls,  who  was  not  drunk  this 
time,  in  the  back  of  the  hall:  "If  The  Deacon  would 
put  a  few  more  'A — a's'  in  his  Amen,  maybe  he  would 
charge  six  per  cent  instead  of  eight  per  cent  for  his 
money." 

Lucy  Hurryup  stepped  forward  again  and  with  jaw 
firmly  set,  said: 

"Children  of  Zion,  you  will  now  hear  an  Apostle  of 
Righteousness,  our  distinguished  brother  Prohibitionist, 
Mayor  Homer."  The  Mayor  arose  from  his  seat  and 
advanced  amid  great  applause,  and  said: 

"Fellow  citizens,  it  does  me  great  honor  to  appear 
here  tonight  before  such  an  intelligent,  patriotic  and 
holy  audience!  (Applause.) 

"Yes,  I  may  say  'holy  audience,'  for  any  assembly, 
or  set  of  men  or  women,  engaged  in  a  holy  cause,  like 
these  noble  Christians,  before  me  on  this  stand  and  in 
this  great  room,  must  constitute  a  holy  audience. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  39 

"We  will  fight  and  go  forward  to  stamp  out  intem 
perance  in  our  town.  I  will  ever  lift  my  arm  of  author 
ity,  my  administrative  and  judicial  hand  to  stamp  out 
drunkenness  and  disorder,  and  co-operate  with  the 
clergy,  W.  G.  T.  U.  and  all  other  holy  citizens  in  their 
virtuous  efforts.  (Great  applause.) 

"Thank  you,  fellow  citizens,  thank  you!" 

"Say,  Snickuls,"  whispered  Tommy,  "I  saw  him  give 
a  man  five  hundred  dollars  in  Conference  Room  No.  1 
to  buy  votes  with  just  before  he  was  elected!" 

Lucy  Hurryup,  with  her  great  blue  eyes  glaring  at 
the  audience,  again  spoke: 

"Yes,  a  right  noble  Mayor,  elected  in  our  midst  by 
the  children  of  God,  who  came  up  to  the  help  of  the 
Lord  against  the  mighty — those  demons  of  hell,  who  are 
degrading  and  filling  our  city  with  vice  of  all  kinds  and 
drunkenness!" 

Alvin  Berry  had  slipped  into  the  crowd  at  the  back 
part  of  the  hall  unobserved,  and  his  lip  curled  with 
contempt  as  he  stood  with  folded  arms  and  listened  to 
the  last  words  of  the  woman  orator:  "What  must  we 
think  of  those  arch-fiends  in  our  midst,  who  are  destroy 
ing  the  youth,  the  middle-aged  and  old  men  of  our 
community.  Is  there  any  punishment  too  great  for 
them?  Like  the  Lord  drove  the  heathen  from  the 
Promised  Land,  we  will  with  'the  sword  of  the  Lord 
and  Gideon'  drive  out  the  rumsellers  of  Batesville  and 
this  county,  and  have  a  clean  city  for  the  children  of 
Israel  to  live  in.  But  we  must  be  up  and  doing;  we 
must  fight  mentally,  morally  and  even  physically. 

"Any  man  who  would  sell  whisky  to  my  husband, 
father,  son  or  nephew — " 

"Tommy,  when  she  gets  a  husband  you  let  me  know," 
whispered  Snickuls,  as  Lucy  went  on:  "I  would  knock 
him  dowrn  or  shoot  him  on  the  spot,  and  if  that  would 
not  do,  I  would  take  a  torch  and  burn  his  place  down!" 


40 


At  these  last  words  she  brought  her  fist  down  on 
the  desk,  and  the  audience  cheered;  some  of  the  most 
enthusiastic  shouted:  "You're  right!" 

Lucy  Hurryup  continued: 

"I  will  now  ask  your  attention  to  our  good  and 
pious  friend,  Deacon  Going,  whom  you  all  know  is 
ever  zealous  in  good  works  and  devoted  to  our  cause — 
one  of  the  salt  of  the  earth,  whose  left  hand  never 
knows  what  his  right  doeth!" 

"Tommy,  do  you  suppose  when  his  left  hand  holds 
a  mortgage,  his  right  hand  knows  it?"  asked  Snickuls. 
Somehow  there  was  no  particular  cheering  when 
Deacon  Going  came  forward.  He  said: 

"My  Christian  friends  I  I  say  Christian,  for  that 
word  embodies  all  the  good  and  great  things  of  the 
world,  and  temperance  and  prohibition  are,  I  claim, 
two  of  the  greatest  Christian  virtues. 

"Any  man  who  will  drink,  will  swear;  any  man  who 
will  swear,  will  steal,  and  any  man  who  will  steal,  will 
commit  murder;  so  you  see,  everything  that  is  bad  is 
encouraged  and  abetted  by  the  rummakers  and  rum- 
sellers  of  this  city. 

"My  motto  is:  'Onward,  Christian  Soldier!'  and  all 
I  ask  is  to  humbly  carry  the  banner  of  Prohibition, 
while  I  follow  the  lead  of  Miss  Hurryup,  and  the  beau 
tiful  Christian  characters  on  this  stand.  I  must  close 
now  by  saying:  Come  and  join  the  army,  all  of  you'!" 

Alvin  Berry's  eyes  blazed  and  his  teeth  grit  as  he 
shifted,  restlessly,  from  one  foot  to  the  other  and 
listened. 

"We  will  now  have  a  song  from  one  of  Batesville's 
most  gifted  daughters,"  said  Miss  Hurryup,  as  she  Turned 
and  nodded  to  Major  Ashcraft,  who  arose,  removed  his 
chair  and  led  his  beautiful  daughter,  Henrietta,  from 
the  rear  to  the  side  of  the  stand,  with  a  piece  of  music 
in  her  hand. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  41 

Alvin  Berry's  blood  tingled  through  his  veins  from 
head  to  foot  as  he  exclaimed  in  an  undertone:  "Hen 
rietta!  is  she  not  lovely?" 

The  whole  audience  cheered  and  cheered  at  the 
sight  of  Miss  Ashcraft.  There  was  a  piano  in  front  of 
the  stage  and  Signor  Patruchi,  organist  of  Rev.  Nostir's 
church,  took  a  seat  at  the  instrument  and  played  a  short 
prelude,  when  Henrietta  began:  "Jesus,  lover  of  my 
soul!  Let  me  to  Thy  bosom  fly!"  to  the  air  of  "When 
the  Swallows  Homeward  Fly." 

It  seemed  as  if  the  audience  was  spellbound  by  the 
sight  of  the  beautiful  woman  and  the  charm  of  her 
voice.  Alvin  stood  with  beaming  eyes,  like  a  statue, 
while  Tommy  gripped  Snickul's  hand  and  Snickuls 
returned  the  pressure,  as  they  both  bent  forward  in 
admiration. 

Long  was  the  applause  when  Henrietta  finished,  and 
her  father  led  her  out  through  the  back  of  the  stage. 

"Children  of  the  Covenant!  We  will  now  hear  from 
that  noble  champion  of  right  and  upholder  of  Prohibi 
tion  and  enemy  of  the  hosts  of  hell  in  the  liquor  traffic. 
I  present  Major  Ashcraft,"  said  Lucy.  The  Major 
stepped  to  the  stand  and  said: 

"I  am  not  much  of  an  orator,  my  friends,  only  a 
practical  business  man.  It  is  necessary  for  all  men  to 
work  in  order  to  support  themselves  and  their  families. 

"Now,  if  a  man  drinks,  he  cannot  think  and  act; 
that  is,  like  he  ought  to." 

"Snickuls,  that  is  not  so;  because,  when  you  are 
drunk,  you  are  smarter  than  when  you  are  sober!" 
whispered  Tommy. 

The  Major  continued:  "My  theory  is  that  we  should 
not  allow  saloons  any  more  than  any  other  evil,  and 
that  we  should  make  laws,  so  that  men  would  not  be 
permitted  to  destroy  themselves  mentally,  morally  and 
physically!"  (Great  cheering.) 

"If  there  were  no  whisky,  beer  nor  any  other  intoxi 
cating  liquor  made  and  sold,  there  would  not  be  any 


42  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

drunkenness.     We  all  must  admit  that  drunkenness  is 
a  bad  thing,  and  if  that  is  so,  let  us  put  an  end  to  ill" 

"Hear  that,  Snickuls!"  whispered  Tommy. 

"The  way  to  put  an  end  to  drunkennes  in  Batesville 
is  to  compel  the  liquor  manufacturers  and  saloons  to 
stop  making  it  and  selling  it! 

"The  city  is  very  much  indebted  to  Miss  Hurryup 
and  her  earnest,  able  coadjutors  of  the  W.  G.  T.  U.,  the 
Rev.  Nostir,  Deacon  Going  and  others  in  their  good 
work,  and  one  of  the  noblest  champions  of  our  cause 
is  the  Honorable  Mayor  Homer,  whom  your  Christian 
votes  elected  to  office.  He  is  doing  his  best  to  suppress 
the  saloons  and  the  liquor  traffic;  but  he  cannot  do  as 
much  as  he  would  like,  until  we  get  control  of  the 
Aldermen  and  Council  of  our  city,  whom,  I  am  sorry 
to  say,  are  now  under  the  thumb  of  the  arch-enemy  of 
prohibition!"  (Great  applause.) 

"I  believe  that  my  speech  is  the  last,  and,  before  we 
adjourn,  I  would  like  to  read  you  a  telegram  I  have 
just  received  from  Mr.  Brentwood,  our  Senator  at  Wash 
ington,  in  regard  to  an  appropriation  of  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars  for  our  new  postoffice  in  Batesville. 
He  says: 

"  'Government  receipts  from  taxes  this  year  less 
than  last.  One  item  to  hear  from;  but  pretty  sure  to 
get  postoffice. 

'SENATOR  BRENTWOOD.' " 

Great  cheering  by  the  audience  for  Ashcraft  and 
Brentwood  as  Major  Ashcraft  took  his  seat. 

Rev.  Nostir  then  stepped  forward,  lifted  his  hand 
and  prayed,  dismissing  the  meeting: 

"0  Lord,  wilt  Thou  rout  the  children  of  hell  and 
intemperance  in  this  town?  Wilt  Thou  pursue  them 
with  a  flaming  sword,  with  fire  and  brimstone,  and 
may  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  fall  upon 
the  sellers  of  rum! 

"And  we  pray  Thee,  0  Lord,  to  let  Thy  choicest 
blessings  rest  upon  Thy  Christian  servants,,  who  have 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  43 

come  here  tonight.  Gird  up  their  loins  and  strengthen 
them  in  the  great  work  of  Prohibition  I"  "Amen,"  cried 
the  stage  and  the  audience;  but  the  loudest  note  of 
them  all  was  Deacon  Going's  "A — a — men!" 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Colonel  Berry  was  sixty  years  old  and  held  his  own 
very  well  for  that  age;  but  any  vigorous  frame  some 
times  feels  a  let-down.  He  stepped  up  to  the  bar  of 
the  Hinsdale  Hotel  and  said: 

"Tom,  give  me  a  little  cognac;  I  am  not  feeling  very 
well  today."  The  bartender  respectfully  placed  a  bottle 
and  glass  of  ice  water  before  The  Colonel,  who  took 
his  drink  and  started  to  pass  into  the  hotel  office,  when 
someone  called  to  him: 

"Hello,  Colonel!  That  was  a  good  one  you  gave  the 
Prohibitionists  this  morning  in  The  Trumpet!  Here  it 
is!" 

Colonel  Berry  turned  and  shook  hands  with  Mr. 
Bolton,  the  hops  grower. 

"What  is  it?  What  is  it?"  cried  several  men,  leav 
ing  their  seats  at  tables,  where  they  drank  beer  or 
whisky,  and  crowding  around  Bolton  to  look  over  his 
shoulder  at  the  paper,  who  read  aloud: 

THE  TRUMPET. 
Colonel  Berry  Answers  the  Prohibitionists. 

"A  letter  was  received  from  our  Representative  in 
Congress  by  Colonel  Berry,  of  our  city,  which  we  pre 
sent  to  our  readers: 

HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES. 
"'Dear  Colonel: 

"  'Your  letter  in  relation  to  getting  new  Postoffice  was 
received.  All  appropriations  for  public  buildings  now 
depend  upon  what  is  received  from  the  whisky  tax — 
reports  on  all  other  taxes  having  come  in.  The  revenue 
from  whisky  is  somewhat  shorter  this  year  on  account 
of  the  new  and  stringent  State  laws  made  against  the 
production  and  consumption  of  liquor.  I  am  doing  all 


44 

I  can  for  Batesville,  and  would  be  glad  to  serve  you 
in  any  way  I  can.    Believe  me,  as  ever, 

"  'Your  friend, 

"'G.  ASHMEAD.' 

"Attention  is  called  to  this  letter,  which  has  a  direct 
connection  with  the  great  Prohibition  meeting  last  night, 
conducted  under  the  auspices  of  the  W.  G.  T.  U.,  Mayor 
Homer,  Major  Ashcraft  and  others. 

"In  answer  to  their  fierce  denunciations  of  the  dis 
tillers  and  brewers — calling  them  hosts  of  hell — Colonel 
Berry  submits  figures  of  his  revenue  taxes  that  he  has 
just  paid  the  Government,  which  amount  to  $27,860.21 
for  the  year,  and  he  says  that  the  amount  of  taxes  that 
he  pays  in  this  town  and  county  just  a  little  overpays 
for  the  new  Postoffice,  that  Major  Ashcraft,  Mayor 
Homer,  Deacon  Going  and  others  of  the  Prohibition 
Party  are  urging  on  our  Representative  and  Senator 
from  Yorksylvania  to  get. 

"Colonel  Berry  says  that  if  they  do  not  care  anything 
for  him  and  the  past  favors  he  has  done  the  city,  it 
would  seem  as  if  their  business  sense,  their  self-interest, 
would  dictate  that  if  they  want  a  $25,000  Postoffice, 
it  is  folly  to  kill  the  business  and  people  who  are  fur 
nishing  the  money  to  pay  for  the  Postoffice  desired. 

"He  also  says  he  is  using  all  his  influence  and  efforts 
at  Washington  to  get  for  the  city  a  new  Postoffice,  but 
points  to  the  fact,  for  the  consideration  of  the  W.  C. 
T.  U.,  and  particularly  for  the  business  men  who  were 
on  the  stand  last  night,  that  if  they  destroy  the  distillery 
and  brewery  business  in  the  town,  a  large  number  of 
men  will  be  out  of  work  and  will  have  to  go  elsewhere 
for  employment.  Then  half  the  stores  of  the  city  will 
have  to  close  up  and  there  will  hardly  be  any  need 
for  the  old  Postoffice,  without  considering  a  new  one. 

"The  Colonel  says  he  is  not  averse  to  a  reasonable 
amount  of  criticism;  but  when  people,  who  are  indebted 
to  him  for  favors,  resort  to  such  violent  and  bitter 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  45 

denunciations  of  himself  and  business,  he  cannot,  out  of 
self-respect,  remain  silent  and  permit  it  without  protest. 

"He  refers  to  Mayor  Homer,  who  came  to  the  town 
twenty  years  ago  as  a  barefooted,  ragged  boy,  without 
a  home,  no  food  and  clothes.  Colonel  Berry  gave  him 
steady  employment  for  years. 

"Lucy  Hurryup  was  a  poor  school  teacher,  with  no 
school,  and  could  get  none.  Colonel  Berry  built  a 
schoolhouse,  put  her  in  it  and  filled  it  with  scholars 
for  her. 

"Twenty -five  years  ago  there  was  no  city  here;  it  was 
nothing  but  a  succession  of  farms,  owned  by  Colonel 
Berry.  He  put  up  distilleries  and  breweries  and  started 
the  town.  After  a  little  while  Major  Ashcraft  heard 
that  Batesville  was  a  good  place  to  start  factories  and 
sought  to  buy  land.  He  could  get  no  good  location,  for 
Colonel  Berry  owned  most  all  the  land.  At  last  he  went 
to  Colonel  Berry  and  The  Colonel  gave  him  the  land 
to  build  his  factories  on. 

"And  the  gratitude  that  these  people  show  The 
Colonel  is  to  defame  him  and  try  to  kill  his  business/' 

"Damned  if  they  shall  do  it!"  exclaimed  one  man 
to  Bolton,  as  he  finished  reading  the  article,  bringing 
his  fist  down  on  the  bar. 

"We  will  hang  the  last  one  of  them!"  said  another. 

"Easy,  boys,  easy,"  said  another;  "it  is  only  a  ques 
tion  of  votes.  If  Colonel  Berry's  sensible  and  liberal 
policies  are  supported  in  the  city  against  the  narrow- 
minded,  rabid  and  bigoted  policy  of  the  W.  C.  T.  U. 
and  the  Prohibition  Party,  then  he  will  win.  I  tell 
you,  boys,  Major  Ashcraft  is  bringing  more  employes 
here  every  year  and  he  is  winning  their  votes  for 
prohibition. 

"If  you  are  against  prohibition,  get  out,  roll  up  your 
sleeves  and  help  carry  the  coming  election,  for  it  is 
going  to  be  a  hard  fight.  Come,  boys,  let's  have  a 
drink,  and  give  three  cheers  for  Colonel  Berry !" 


46  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

The  bartender  served  them,  and  their  voices  rang 
out:  "Berry!  Berry!  Berry!  Hurray!  Hurray!" 

While  Bolton  was  reading  to  the  crowd  Colonel 
Berry  pushed  the  swinging  barroom  door  and  went  out 
into  the  hotel  lobby.  He  passed  on  toward  the  desk, 
nodding  to  this  one  and  that  one,  whom  he  knew  stand 
ing  around,  and  put  his  hand  on  the  head  of  Tommy 
Dust  as  he  went  along. 

Mrs.  Hinsdale  stood  at  the  desk  talking  to  her  hus 
band  and  had  just  turned  to  answer  a  question,  asked 
her  by  Ella  Rowe,  the  new  chambermaid,  who,  with 
some  sheets  and  pillow  cases  on  her  arm,  had  just  come 
down  the  stairs. 

"How  pretty  that  girl  is!"  The  Colonel  heard  a  young 
man  say  to  another  in  an  undertone  nearby,  looking  at 
the  chambermaid. 

"How  do  you  do,  Colonel  Berry?"  said  Mrs.  Hins 
dale,  advancing  a  little  and  holding  out  her  hand  to 
him  as  he  came  up  to  the  desk.  "You  are  looking  well." 

Colonel  Berry  shook  hands  with  her,  with  her  hus 
band  behind  the  desk,  and  spoke  to  the  girl.  He  said: 
"I  am  beginning  to  feel  my  age,  Mrs.  Hinsdale,  a  little." 
After  passing  a  few  remarks  he  walked  out  of  the  hotel 
to  the  street. 

Opposite  the  Hinsdale  Hotel  was  the  City  Hall,  which 
stood  on  the  edge  of  a  great  open  space,  used,  for  all 
kinds  of  open  air  public  demonstrations. 

It  was  a  beautiful  day  and  people  of  both  sexes 
thronged  the  streets  and  the  stores  were  crowded,  espe 
cially  those  devoted  to  female  attire.  As  The  Colonel 
passed  along  he  saw  a  lovely  form  and  face  approach 
ing,  and  said  to  himself: 

"I  believe  that  is  Henrietta  Ashcraft.  Will  she  speak 
to  me?" 

Henrietta's  beautiful  and  expressive  eyes  saw  The 
Colonel,  but  she  turned  and  went  into  a  milliner  store, 
recollecting  her  father's  command:  "I  prohibit  you 
from  having  anything  to  do  with  any  of  the  Berry 


47 


family!"  Not  surprised  at  her  action,  The  Colonel's 
head  turned  and  he  caught  another  sight.  Across  the 
open  space,  or  mall,  came  a  body  of  soldiers  marching 
with  admirable  precision,  and  at  their  head,  with  sword 
in  hand,  as  captain,  he  saw  his  son  Alvin,  whose  voice 
rang  out  in  clear  tones:  "Guide  right!" 

Colonel  Berry's  eagle  eye  had  glanced  over  many 
a  battle  field  and  his  heart  swelled  with  pride  as  he 
saw  the  masterly  manner  in  which  Captain  Berry 
handled  and  maneuvered  the  Berry  Zouaves. 

The  people  came  from  every  direction  and  crowded 
up  to  see  the  drill;  but  The  Colonel  walked  leisurely  to 
a  point  opposite,  where  he  could  see  the  maneuvers  of 
the  company,  which  had  come  to  rest.  They  looked 
very  fine  in  their  blue  coats,  white  vests  and  loose  red 
trousers.  Captain  Berry's  voice  sounded  out: 

"Order  Arms!"  "Present  Arms!"  "Right  Shoulder 
Arms!" 

"He's  a  chip  off  the  old  block,  Alvin  is,  is  he  not?" 
said  an  old  man,  who  touched  The  Colonel's  arm. 
Colonel  Berry  laughed  and  replied: 

"Well,  Alvin  does  very  well.  When  I  started  the 
Zouaves,  five  years  ago,  I  had  to  drill  them  myself;  but 
now  I  leave  it  to  younger  hands.  Alvin's  military  Col 
lege  has  done  him  good." 

The  Berry  Zouaves  were  started  for  a  double  pur 
pose — to  amuse  the  people  of  the  city  and  to  advertise 
The  Colonel's  business.  Batesville  had  grown  very  fast 
in  the  last  few  years  and  had  a  good  many  attractions; 
but  when  the  town  was  started  there  was  very  little 
of  interest  going  on  to  amuse  the  people,  so  he  took 
most  of  the  young  men  he  employed  and  formed  them 
into  a  military  company.  Some  of  these  he  would  drill 
at  one  time  and  some  another,  until  they  had  become 
very  efficient. 

In  the  hottest  weather  The  Colonel  would  send  these 
Berry  Zouaves  away  on  vacation  trips  to  drill  in  dif 
ferent  parts  of  Yorksylvania  and  other  States,  which 


48  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

gave  his  business  a  name  and  a  good  deal  of  distinction 
to  his  Zouaves;  until,  whenever  there  would  be  a  public 
demonstration  of  any  kind,  particularly  in  a  military 
way,  urgent  letters  would  be  received  by  Colonel  Berry, 
asking  him  the  favor  of  sending  the  Berry  Zouaves  to 
participate  in  the  demonstrations;  and  he  did  send  them 
every  year. 

Henrietta  Ashcraft  looked  out  of  the  millinery  store 
and  saw  the  soldiers,  and  her  eyes  shone  with  a  peculiar 
brilliancy  when  she  heard  the  voice  of  their  Captain 
ring  out  across  the  mall. 

Major  Ashcraft  stood  in  the  crowd,  near  the  City 
Hall  steps,  and  watched  the  military  absent-mindedly. 
He  muttered  to  himself: 

"Alvin  Berry  is  surely  every  inch  a  soldier.  It  is 
a  good  playing  card  with  the  Berrys  to  get  popularity 
and  votes.  I  will  get  up  a  military  company  myself," 
and  he  walked  away. 

It  was  not  over  a  month  before  Major  Ashcraft  had 
some  of  his  men  trying  to  imitate  the  Berry  Zouaves. 
He  put  Albert  Luxy  in  as  captain,  who  was  aggressive 
and  determined  enough,  but  somehow  they  did  not 
seem  to  have  the  knack  of  it.  When  Captain  Berry  led 
his  men  off  the  mall  back  to  the  Barracks,  Snickuls, 
who  was  in  the  dispersing  crowd,  saw  Mr.  Brickley 
walking  just  ahead  of  him,  who  had  a  very  troubled 
look  on  his  face  and  walked  across  the  street  to  a  large 
building,  upon  the  door  of  which  was  chiseled  in  stone. 
Temple  Bar. 

This  building  was  filled  with  law  offices  and  as  Mr. 
Brickley  entered,  Snickuls  followed,  until  he  saw  him 
go  into  an  office  marked:  I.  C.  Wisdom,  Attorney-at- 
Law. 

Snickuls  walked  right  in  after  him  and  heard  the 
office  boy  tell  Mr.  Brickley  to  take  a  seat  and  Mr.  Wis 
dom  would  be  in  soon.  Snickuls  sat  down  by  him  and 
they  talked  quite  a  while.  Mr.  Wisdom  soon  came  in 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  49 

and   the   three   men    talked   very   earnestly   for   a   long 
time. 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Snickuls  had  been  walking  a  long  way  in  the  country 
and  he  was  tired;  so  he  sought  a  grassy  place,  sur 
rounded  by  bushes,  alongside  of  fhe  road  that  runs 
through  the  woods,  and  was  soon  asleep.  He  was  awak 
ened  by  the  sound  of  buggy  wheels  which  approached 
and,  peeping  through  the  bushes,  he  saw  Albert  Luxy 
drive  up  in  a  buggy,  accompanied  by  Major  Ashcraft. 
They  stopped  in  the  shade  of  a  great  tree,  very  near 
where  Snickuls  lay,  took  off  their  hats  and  began  to 
talk.  Major  Ashcraft  said:  "You  see,  Albert,  if  we  want 
to  get  a  law  passed  to  close  the  saloons  at  12  o'clock 
at  night,  we  cannot  do  it,  even  if  we  have  The  Mayor 
on  our  side,  unless  Colonel  Berry  is  willing,  for  he 
controls  the  Aldermen  and  Council.  Have  you  heard 
what  his  attitude  is  in  the  matter?"  Luxy  answered: 

"I  heard  he  said  he  would  be  willing,  for  peace 
sake,  to  close  all  the  saloons  at  12  o'clock,  if  that  would 
satisfy  the  Prohibitionists;  but  he  says  it  will  not  be 
long  before  they  will  want  something  else." 

"That  is  true,"  replied  The  Major,  laughing.  "Our 
object  is  to  annihilate  the  whole  liquor  traffic;  but,  you 
know,  we  have  to  accomplish  one  thing  at  a  time.  I 
believe  that  The  Colonel  will  concede  that  if  we  do 
not  irritate  him.  The  bill  will  be  prepared  tonight,  and 
if  Colonel  Berry  does  not  oppose  it,  one  of  the  steps 
in  our  fight  will  be  won." 

Said  Luxy:  "While  we  are  here,  Major,  I  would 
say  that  I  have  long  been  in  love  with  Miss  Henrietta. 
Would  you  have  any  objections  if  I  ask  her  hand  in 
marriage?" 

The  Major  gave  a  slight  start  and  hesitated  in 
answering:  "Well,  well,  Albert!  Henrietta  is  hardly 
old  enough  yet  to  marry,  and  I  do  not  think  her  mind 
is  on  any  such  subject.  Suppose  you  find  out  how  she 


50  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

feels  in  the  matter  and  let  me  know.  Well,  Albert,  I 
guess  it  is  time  to  go  home,"  and  they  drove  on. 

Snickuls  did  not  get  to  the  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club 
until  late  that  night,  where  he  found  Tommy  playing  a 
game  of  solitaire  on  the  large  table. 

"What  made  you  so  late?"  asked  Tommy,  as  he  came 
in.  Snickuls  laid  down  on  the  lounge  and  told  Tommy 
the  conversation  that  passed  between  Major  Ashcraft 
and  Albert  Luxy.  "By  the  way,  Tommy,  I  heard  just 
before  I  came  in  that  the  midnight  closing  act  has 
passed  and  Mayor  Homer  has  signed  it.  They  had  to 
get  the  consent  of  Colonel  Berry  before  it  could  pass. 
He  said  that  people  could  drink  enough  up  to  12  o'clock 
and  if  it  would  make  peace  in  the  town,  he  would  not 
oppose  the  act." 

"That  is  just  like  The  Colonel,"  asid  Tommy,  "always 
trying  to  do  some  good." 

Said  Snickuls:  "Tommy,  I  have  got  a  postage  stamp 
and  envelope  in  my  pocket.  Pull  out  that  table  drawer 
under  you,  get  a  piece  of  paper  and  pencil  and  write 
me  a  letter,  please;  because  I  am  so  tired,  and  you 
write  a  better  hand  than  I  do  anyhow.  I  will  drop  it 
in  the  Postoffice  when  you  go  out." 

Tommy  wrote  the  letter  and  Snickuls  got  up  and 
signed  it.  They  put  out  the  light  then  and  went  out 
together,  both  stopping,  as  they  reached  the  entrance 
to  the  labyrinth  of  timbers,  and  tread  softly,  going  in 
different  directions  through  the  ruins. 

As  Alvin  Berry,  with  his  proud,  aristocratic  air 
walked  along  Main  Street  next  morning,  toward  the 
office  of  Berry  &  Son,  a  newspaper  boy  came  running, 
shouting: 

"Extra!  buy  the  Clarion!  Extra!"  Alvin  stopped 
the  boy  and  bought  a  paper.  In  large  headlines  he 
read: 

"Great  Triumph  for  Prohibition  and  Righteousness! 
The  Forces  of  Alcohol  Driven  to  the  Wall!  Mayor 
Homer  Signs  the  Midnight  Closing  Act!"  Alvin's  lip 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  51 

curled  and  he  muttered,  as  he  walked  along:   "If  I  had 
been  father  I  would  have  never  let  the  bill  pass." 

When  he  entered  his  private  office  and  took  a  seat 
at  his  desk,  a  young  man  clerk  brought  him  the  morning 
mail,  most  of  which  were  business  letters  and  which 
he  soon  disposed  of.  Among  the  personal  letters  he 
saw  one  in  a  soiled  envelope,  which  he  opened  and 
carefully  read,  his  face  flushing  as  he  did  so.  He  sprang 
from  the  chair,  hastily  closed  the  door  and  walked  up 
and  down  the  floor,  nervously  exclaiming: 

"Albert  Luxy  is  trying  to  marry  Henrietta!"  He 
then  sat  down,  put  his  hand  on  the  desk,  rested  his 
head  on  it  and  closed  his  eyes. 

At  the  dinner  table  Alvin's  mother  said  to  him: 
"Son,  what  makes  you  so  quiet  tonight?  Is  there  any 
thing  the  matter,  dear?" 

"Nothing,  mother,  only  I  am  a  little  tired,"  answered 
Alvin. 

"Son,"  said  Colonel  Berry,  "I  heard  a  great  many 
compliments  bestowed  on  Captain  Berry  for  the  way 
he  handled  his  troops,  and  I  must  say  myself,  Captain 
Berry,  as  an  old  officer,  that  your  company  is  the  best 
drilled  company  I  have  ever  seen." 

"Oh,  father,  that  is  too  much!"  exclaimed  Alvin, 
laughing  with  pleasure.  He  seemed  as  lively  as  usual, 
went  up  to  his  father,  put  his  hand  on  his  shoulder 
and  bent  over  and  kissed  his  father's  brow.  Then  he 
kissed  his  mother  on  the  cheek  and  went  out  on  the 
front  porch,  leaving  them  at  the  table.  As  he  sat  there 
looking  out  over  the  lawn,  at  the  great  oaks,  hedges 
and  flov.  ers,  a  great  sadness  crept  over  him,  and  it 
almost  seemed  to  be  akin  to  terror,  as  he  clasped  his 
hands  and  exclaimed  to  himself: 

"Albert  Luxy  is  trying  to  marry  Henrietta!"  How 
could  he  help  it?  He  knew  that  her  father  was  at 
enmity  to  his  father  and  all  his  family,  and  had  pro 
hibited  her  from  having  anything  to  do  with  the  Berry 
family. 


52  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

That  affair  with  Ella  Rowe,  and  which  Luxy  and 
the  Prohibition  paper  had  distributed  to  his  injury,  had 
been  used  by  Luxy  with  his  father's  and  his  enemies 
to  further  prejudice  Henrietta  against  him.  What 
chance  did* he  have? 

With  these  thoughts  in  his  mind  Alvin  strolled  down 
the  walk.  His  eyes  glanced  toward  the  dense  grove 
and  brook  in  the  distance,  and  returning  pictures  came 
to  view  in  his  mind  of  the  happy  hours  he  had  spent 
in  that  spot;  how  he  had  climbed  the  fence  and  joined 
a  beautiful  girl,  who  waited  for  him  in  the  hammock. 
Then  he  went  off  to  college. 

Before  he  knew  it,  Alvin  found  himself  in  the  grove. 
Yes,  there  is  the  brook,  musically  rippling  alone  over 
the  stones.  He  tread  softly — and  there  was  the  fence 
he  used  to  climb — and  what  is  it!  Who  is  it?  Can  it 
be — Henrietta,  sitting  there  in  the  swing,  with  her  back 
to  him?  No!  not  Henrietta,  the  girl,  but  Henrietta,  the 
magnificent,  beautiful  woman!  But  let  us  go  back  a 
little. 

Misses  Askwitch,  Lucy  Hurryup  and  Mrs.  Jane 
Bowink  sat  in  Major  Ashcraft's  parlor  talking  vocifer 
ously. 

Miss  Hurryup,  sitting  up  straight  in  her  chair  and 
holding  her  head  high,  exclaimed: 

"And  just  to  think  of  what  a  victory  we  have  just 
had  over  those  demons  of  hell — the  Berrys!  Thank  the 
Lord!  Thank  the  Lord!" 

Henrietta  sat  near  the  window  crocheting. 

"Yes,  it  was  fine,"  answered  Miss  Askwitch.  "Albert 
Luxy  says  that  when  he  made  the  motion  in  the  Council 
for  the  midnight  closing,  the  liquor  forces  broke  and 
came  over  to  him  in  a  body!  Albert  carried  the  day 
and  deserves  great  credit.  Yes,  it  was  a  great  victory!" 
This  she  said  looking  at  Henrietta,  as  if  to  make  a 
great  impression  on  her,  who  raised  her  head  from 
her  work  and  said  timidly: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  53 

"I  bought  a  'Trumpet'  this  morning  and  it  says  that 
the  Prohibition  forces  were  absolutely  blocked  and 
could  not  pass  the  bill  without  the  consent  of  Colonel 
Berry,  and  they  had  to  send  a  committee  to  him  in 
order  to  get  him  to  allow  them  to  pass  the  bill." 

Miss  Askwitch  looked  daggers  at  Henrietta,  who 
dropped  her  head  and  went  on  crocheting,  and 
exclaimed:  "Henrietta,  what  do  you  know  about  poli 
tics,  anyhow?  That  Trumpet  is  a  liquor  paper  and 
never  was  known  to  tell  the  truth — NEVER!" 

"Never!"  chimed  in  Miss  Hurryup.  "It  is  a  vile  sheet! 
Do  you  not  think  so,  Mrs.  Bowink?" 

The  lady  addressed  by  Lucy  sat  comfortably  back 
in  her  chair,  and  half  yawning  replied: 

"Oh,  I  do  not  know.  I  do  not  read  politics  much. 
1  leave  that  to  the  men." 

Jane  Bowink  was  a  widow,  about  35,  plump,  good- 
natured  and  good-looking.  Her  husband  had  died  five 
years  before,  leaving  no  children  and  a  large  fortune 
to  her.  She  had  a  beautiful  home  near  the  Ashcraft 
residence,  many  servants  and  did  not  worry  herself 
about  anything  that  went  on  in  life. 

Last  night,  just  before  she  retired,  she  was  troubled 
with  a  little  indigestion,  stepped  to  the  wall  of  her 
bedroom  and  rang  a  bell,  and  when  her  servant  entered, 
she  said: 

"Mary,  make  me  a  little  toddy,  for  my  stomach 
aches."  Mary  brought  the  toddy,  which  she  took,  went 
to  bed  and  was  soon  in  a  sound  sleep. 

It  was  whispered  around  the  neighborhood  that 
Major  Ashcraft  was  somewhat  infatuated  with  this 
widow  and  thought  that  if  he  could  join  her  fortune 
to  his  it  would  be  a  good  thing. 

"Those  Berrys  are  a  disgrace  to  any  community," 
continued  Miss  Askwitch,  addressing  her  remarks  to  all 
present.  "Did  any  of  you  see  that  able  article  in  The 
Clarion  about  a  young  man  driving  out  late  in  the  night 
with  young  women  of  questionable  reputation?  Well, 


54  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

do  you  know  who  that  young  man  was?"     Here  she 
bent  forward  in  a  tragic,  confidential  manner  and  said: 
"It  was  Alvin  Berry!  for  Albert  says  he  saw  him 
with  the  woman." 

At  these  words  Henrietta  almost  dropped  her  work, 
for  an  iron  hand  seemed  to  grip  her  heart. 

"Yes,  what  you  say  is  true.  I  have  heard  on  good 
authority  that  he  spends  his  time  in  drinking,  gambling 
and  carousing,"  chimed  in  Lucy. 

"Who  told  you  those  things?"  asked  Jane  Bowink,  a 
little  critically  of  Lucy. 

"Why — let  me  see;  it  was  Deacon  Going  and  others. 
No  one  could  doubt  the  word  of  such  a  good  man  as 
Deacon  Going,"  answered  Lucy. 

"I  do  not  know  the  gentleman,"  remarked  Jane 
Bowink,  languidly. 

At  this  point  of  the  conversation  Henrietta  excused 
herself  and  left  the  room,  and  the  ladies  were  soon 
interrupted  by  the  arrival  of  Major  Ashcraft,  who  had 
come  in  for  dinner.  He  bowed  and  shook  hands  with 
the  two  visitors  and  was  particularly  gracious  in  his 
attentions  to  the  widow.  "Where  is  Henrietta,  Miss 
Askwitch?"  asked  he. 

"She  was  here  a  few  minutes  ago  and  just  went  out. 
I  do  not  think  she  has  been  very  well  since  yesterday, 
Major,"  answered  the  governess.  "Well,  you  go  out  and 
tell  John,  the  coachman,  to  take  the  carriage  down  to 
Dr.  Biddle's  office  and  ask  him  to  come  up  to  see  Hen 
rietta,"  said  The  Major.  The  governess  went  out  and 
as  he  seated  himself,  he  remarked: 

"That  is  a  man  whom  I  do  not  like,  but  he  is  the 
best  physician  I  ever  saw." 

"Why  do  you  not  like  him?"  asked  Mrs.  Bowink. 
The  Major  answered: 

"Oh,  he  is  too  independent.  But  I  have  tried  every 
doctor  \vho  has  come  to  the  county  and  they  are  no 
good!  They  have  fine  offices,  fine  turnouts,  fine  man 
ners  and  conversation;  use  big  words  and  give  medi- 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  55 

cines  with  big  names,  but  they  do  not  cure,  and  are  no 
physicians.  Dr.  Biddle  does!" 

The  fact  was  that  there  were  two  men  in  the  com 
munity,  about  his  age,  and  with  whom  he  had  been 
associated,  who  did  not  seem  to  recognize  the  import 
ance  of  Major  Ashcraft,  and  who  would  not  turn  on 
their  heels  to  get  his  good-will  or  opinion;  and  they 
were  Colonel  Berry  and  Dr.  Biddle. 

People  thought  the  doctor  was  peculiar,  for,  when 
called  to  a  patient,  he  would  most  always,  standing  or 
sitting,  never  say  a  word  for  five  minutes.  His  glance 
would  fall  on  the  one  who  ushered  him  in,  and  every 
particle  of  information  or  connection  that  the  person 
had  with  the  patient  would  seem  to  be  abstracted  in 
that  glance.  When  every  article  in  the  room  would  be 
subjected  to  the  same  glance,  and  last  of  all  the  patient, 
by  the  side  of  whom  he  would  sit  for  some  time,  watch 
ing  every  movement.  His  eyes  seemed  to  penetrate 
body  and  soul  of  the  patient,  and  oblivious  to  all  the 
world  beside  was  the  doctor  for  a  time,  and  it  seemed 
as  if  the  facts,  bearings  and  all  information  and  the 
remedy  came  before  him,  made  their  bow  and  retired. 

This  was  about  all  he  did,  and  giving  his  directions 
and  remedy  in  short,  commanding  tones,  which  no  one 
dared  to  disobey,  he  would  leave;  but  it  would  not  be 
very  long  before  a  very  favorable  result  would  be  seen 
in  the  patient. 

At  a  recent  convention  of  the  Medical  Association  of 
the  State  of  Yorksylvania,  the  President  of  same,  in 
conversation  with  a  well-known  physician,  remarked: 

"Do  you  see  Dr.  Biddle  over  there?  He  seems  to 
have  an  unerring  instinct  in  finding  the  location  and 
cause  of  most  every  disease.  It  is  wonderful,  and  I 
think  he  is  undoubtedly  the  finest  diagnostician  in  the 
State  of  Yorksylvania!  That  really  is  the  greatest 
desideratum  in  a  physician — to  know  what  the  disease 
is,  where  it  is  located  and  the  cause.  Any  fool  can 
give  medicine  after  that!" 


56  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

That  was  a  good  description  of  Dr.  Biddle,  and 
Major  Ashcraft  was  right  when  he  said  the  doctor  was 
a  good  physician. 

Dinner  being  announced  by  the  butler,  Major  Ash- 
craft  conducted  his  guests  to  the  dining  room.  Dr. 
Biddle  came  while  they  were  eating  and  The  Major  and 
governess  went  to  Henrietta's  room  with  the  doctor. 
In  a  short  time  she  came  into  the  dining  room  with 
them  and  the  doctor  sat  down  at  the  table  with  the 
company  and  had  a  cup  of  tea,  Henrietta  declaring  that 
she  felt  as  well  as  she  ever  did,  and  The  Major  said 
to  her: 

"You  must  not  get  ill,  daughter,  because  we  are 
going  to  have,  next  week,  at  our  church,  a  great  mis 
sionary  meeting.  On  my  way  home  today  I  met  Rev. 
Doctor  Nostir,  and  he  said  to  me  very  earnestly:  'Tell 
Miss  Henrietta  we  want  to  make  our  music  especially 
attractive  during  the  convention,  and  ask  her  to  please 
see  Professor  Patruchi  and  prepare  a  program  of  supe 
rior  excellence,  as  she  knows  how  to  do.' 

"Now,  daughter,  outside  of  our  love  and  solicitude 
for  you,  we  hope  you  are  not  going  to  be  ill  and  dis 
appoint  all  of  those  people,  who  enjoy  your  singing  so 
much!" 

Henrietta  blushed  as  the  most  bewitching  dimples 
came  into  her  cheeks,  saying: 

"Why,  papa,  there  is  nothing  the  matter  with  me! 
I  am  going  to  look  over  my  music  this  afternoon  and 
select  some  pieces;  and  I  will  send  John  to  Signor 
Patruchi  to  meet  me  tonight  at  the  church  and  we  will 
try  them  on  the  great  new  organ." 

"She  will  be  all  right,"  said  Dr.  Biddle.  The  party 
arose  from  dining  and  went  into  the  parlor,  and  Major 
Ashcraft  said: 

"Please  excuse  me,  Doctor,  for  a  moment,  until  I 
go  to  the  other  part  of  the  house  to  give  some  orders, 
and  then  I  will  come  and  we  will  ride  down-town 
together."  Miss  Askwitch  and  Henrietta  went  after 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  57 

some  music,  leaving  Miss  Hurryup  and  Dr.  Biddle  in 
the  parlor  alone.  What  was  it  about  that  man  that 
had  such  an  impression  on  Lucy  Hurryup?  His  pres 
ence  in  the  room  seemed  to  be  so  large  that  her  per 
sonality,  notwithstanding  her  assertiveness,  dwindled 
into  dwarf-like  proportions. 

She  assumed  her  most  magnificent  and  haughty  air; 
but  he  was  utterly  unconscious  of  her  presence  appar 
ently.  At  last  she  aroused  her  aggressiveness  and  said: 
"Doctor,  the  Prohibition  Party  of  the  county  and  state 
is  very  much  offended  because  you  did  not  accept  its 
invitation  to  occupy  the  stand  with  its  members  at 
their  meeting  the  other  night!  You  and  Judge  Elmira 
Sims  are  the  only  very  prominent  men  in  the  city  who 
did  not  occupy  the  stage.  I  do  not  include  such  dis 
reputable  citizens  as  the  Berrys,  of  course." 

It  was  a  moment  before  the  doctor  answered  and 
then  he  said: 

"I  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  reasoning  nor  the 
action  of  Judge  Sims;  but  my  reasoning  and  judgment 
tell  me  that  you  are  wrong.  As  to  Colonel  Berry  and 
Captain  Alvin  Berry,  I  take  issue  with  you.  They  are 
not  disreputable  citizens,  but  courteous,  elegant  gen 
tlemen,  who  attend  strictly  to  their  own  business  and 
let  other  people  alone. 

"If  a  man  will  attend  strictly  to  the  business  that 
nature  fits  him  for,  and  let  everything  and  everybody 
else  alone,  as  a  constituent  part  of  it  he  must,  neces 
sarily,  be  of  benefit  to  all  the  world.  But  if  he  goes 
out  of  the  field  that  nature  fits  him  for,  he  creates 
discord  and  is  out  of  harmony  with  the  universe.  That 
is  the  case  with  you,  personally,  and  with  most  reform 
ers.  They  try  to  improve  on  the  laws  of  nature,  which 
are  emphatically  the  laws  of  God. 

"Your  W.  C.  T.  U.  and  Prohibition  Party  are  trying 
to  infringe  on  man's  natural  rights;  that  is,  to  drink 
what  he  pleases,  when  he  pleases  and  how  much  he 
pleases.  Any  law  or  statute  that  is  passed,  by  whatever 


58  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

government,  in  violation  of  a  natural  right  of  man, 
though  such  law  or  statute  may  stand  for  a  short  time, 
it  cannot  be  effective  and  permanent." 

"If  you  are  ready,  I  am,  Doctor,"  said  Major  Ash- 
craft,  entering  the  parlor.  The  Doctor  arose,  bowed 
to  Miss  Hurryup,  and  then  went  out  to  the  carriage 
that  was  waiting  at  the  door,  leaving  the  President  of 
the  W.  G.  T.  U.  in  the  most  defiant  and  aggressive  mood. 

As  the  carriage  rolled  along  The  Major  said  to  Dr. 
Biddle:  "What  is  the  matter  with  Henrietta,  Doctor?" 

The  Doctor  answered:  "Nothing  at  all,  Major,  only 
tendencies." 

"Please  explain,  for  I  cannot  understand  what  you 
mean  by  tendencies,"  said  The  Major  to  The  Doctor, 
who  continued: 

"Ninety-nine  doctors  out  of  a  hundred  would  declare 
that  there  is  nothing  at  all  the  matter  with  your  daugh 
ter,  and  they  would  be  right;  but  I  say  there  are  ten 
dencies.  The  Major  remarked:  "I  do  not  understand." 

"Well,"  said  the  doctor,  "when  a  bird  is  sitting  on 
the  limb  of  a  tree,  it  has  a  tendency  to  fly;  and  so  it 
is  with  your  daughter." 

They  stopped  at  the  building  where  The  Doctor's 
office  was  and  he  got  out,  saying:  "Better  send  for  me 
again  in  a  month's  time,  Major,  and  I  will  be  able, 
maybe,  to  tell  you  more.  She  is  all  right  now." 

The  Major  drove  away,  but  he  could  not  for  the  life 
of  him  fathom  what  The  Doctor  meant. 

Henrietta  came  into  the  room,  where  Miss  Hurryup 
sat  with  Miss  Askwitch,  carrying  a  bundle  of  pieces  of 
music,  and  said: 

"I  am  going  to  take  this  music  down  to  the  grove, 
where  it  is  cool,  and  choose  the  ones  I  want.  Then 
Signor  Patruchi  and  I  can  try  them  on  the  organ  tonight 
at  the  church."  Leaving  Lucy  and  Miss  Askwitch  talk 
ing  she  went  out  the  door,  as  the  latter's  glance  followed 
her  suspiciously. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  59 

Henrietta  entered  the  grove  and  approached  the 
board  swing,  into  which  she  sat  down.  She  held  the 
music  in  her  lap,  but  she  had  no  thought  of  same;  for 
her  mind  had  passed  into  a  reverie  of  bygone  days. 

She  saw  herself  reclining  in  the  hammock  over  there 
and  a  handsome  boy  swinging  her.  She  saw  herself 
standing  at  the  brook  and  the  same  boy  looking  up  at 
her  with  those  deep,  black  eyes,  as  he  handed  her 
pebbles;  and  she  saw  him  picking  flowers,  under  the 
trees,  and  helping  her  make  a  wreath;  and  felt  him 
place  it  on  her  head,  and  tell  her  how  pretty  she  looked. 
Then  the  scene  changed  to  a  manly  form  on  the  mall 
at  the  head  of  the  Berry  Zouaves.  She  heard  a  slight 
sound  and  turned.  A  voice  exclaimed:  "Henrietta!" 

She  dropped  her  music  and  started  to  run.  He 
seized  her  hand,  pulled  it  to  his  lips  and  kissed  it. 
She  struggled  to  pull  away  crying: 

"Oh,  I  must  not!  I  must  not,  Alvin.  Father  pro 
hibits  me!" 

"Henrietta!"  a  female  voice  called  through  the 
bushes,  as  she  ran  that  way,  and  Misses  Askwitch  and 
Hurryup  made  their  appearance,  the  former  exclaiming: 
"What!  Henrietta?  What  are  you  running  for?  Oh, 
I  see,  an  intruder!  How  dare  you,  Alvin  Berry,  to 
invade  these  premises,  when  you  know  that  your  pol 
luted  presence  is  prohibited  by  Major  Ashcraft,  the 
owner,  who  considers  you  too  low  for  his  daughter  to 
associate  with!" 

Alvin  stood  there  and  stared  with  astonishment  at 
the  two  women,  with  their  arms  thrown  around  Hen 
rietta,  as  if  to  protect  her,  who  was  trying  to  break 
away  from  them. 

"And  is  that  the  young  man  known  as  Alvin  Berry?" 
exclaimed  Lucy,  straightening  herself  up  to  her  great 
est  height  and  assuming  her  most  cynical  and  disdain 
ful  air,  "the  gambler,  the  seducer  of  women  and  drunk 
ard?  And  dares  he  to  enter  these  forbidden  grounds 


60  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

and  approach  a  girl  who  is  too  good  to  wipe  her  feet 
on  his  disreputable  and  depraved  body?" 

"Let  me  go!  Let  me  go!"  cried  Henrietta,  struggling 
to  free  herself  from  the  grasp  of  the  two  women;  but 
they  held  her  as  if  they  wanted  her  to  hear  what  they 
said.  Alvin's  temper  began  to  boil  and  he  replied: 

"You  undoubtedly  see  before  you  Alvin  Berry,  your 
next  door  neighbor,  who,  if  you  can  call  it  an  invasion 
of  Major  Ashcraft's  property,  did  so  because  he  was 
impelled  by  admiration  of  the  beauty  of  his  daughter, 
to  whom  he  wished  to  pay  his  respects  as  an  old  play 
mate. 

"I  have  never  received  any  notification,  nor  my 
father  either,  that  our  presence  is  not  permitted  by 
him  near  his  and  our  fence  line.  If  Major  Ashcraft 
should  happen  to  find  himself  on  my  father's  premises 
I  know  that  he  would  receive  the  greatest  courtesy, 
notwithstanding  he  is  an  avowed  enemy. 

"As  to  your  insults,  I  was  going  to  say,  ladies — but 
no  true  lady  will  grossly  insult  a  man  and  use  her  sex 
and  skirts  as  a  shield!  If  you  were  men  I  would  make 
you  retract  your  insults  or  someone  would  bite  the 
dust!" 

Alvin  picked  up  from  the  ground  Henrietta's  music, 
wiped  the  dirt  off  with  his  handkerchief,  placed  it  in 
the  hammock,  walked  to  the  fence,  vaulted  over  and 
was  lost  to  view,  never  looking  back.  Henrietta's  eyes 
followed  him  as  far  as  she  could  see  him,  but  she  was 
pulled  away  by  Miss  Askwitch,  who  exclaimed:  "Mis 
erable  cur!  Is  he  not  insolent?  Gome,  Henrietta,  let 
us  go!  It  is  a  good  thing  we  came  so  soon,  or  some 
thing  dreadful  might  have  happened  to  you!" 

Miss  Hurryup  added: 

"How  could  you  expect  any  good  from  such  a 
depraved  family.  No  good  can  come  out  of  Galilee!" 
and  they  went  to  the  house,  both  of  the  elder  women 
concluding  in  their  minds  not  to  tell  The  Major  about  it. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  61 

Miss  Hurryup  had  been  thinking  since  she  left  the 
grove.  She  saw  a  picture  of  a  poor  girl  without  parents, 
who  had  landed  from  an  emigrant  wagon  in  Batesville 
some  years  before.  She  wandered  up  and  down  the 
small  town,  going  into  stores  and  houses,  but  nobody 
would  help  her.  Hungry  and  with  tears  in  her  eyes 
she  stood  in  the  street  and  did  not  know  what  to  do. 

Should  she  go  to  the  bad  or  starve?  A  tall,  dark, 
distinguished-looking  man  came  along  the  street  toward 
her.  His  piercing  eyes  saw  her  tears  and  he  stopped, 
saying: 

"What  is  the  matter?  Can  I  do  anything  for  you?" 
He  took  her  to  a  restaurant  and  gave  her  a  meal;  then 
to  a  woman  whom  he  knew  who  was  keeping  boarders, 
and  told  her  to  take  care  of  the  girl  until  he  could  get 
her  a  position.  He  gave  her  living  wages  until  a  school- 
house  was  built  on  his  land,  and  then  put  her  in  it  as 
school  teacher,  and  got  his  employes  to  send  their  chil 
dren  to  her  school. 

And  who  was  this  girl?  Lucy  Hurryup.  And  who 
was  this  man?  The  father  of  Alvin  Berry. 

Miss  Askwitch  knew,  if  she  told  Major  Ashcraft, 
there  would  be  a  row.  The  Major  was  no  coward  and 
there  would  be  a  fight  or  duel.  She  did  not  care  if 
there  was  a  fight,  if  she  were  sure  her  friends  would 
win;  but,  as  Alvin  Berry  was  reported  to  be  the  best 
pistol  shot  in  the  State  of  Yorksylvania,  the  issue  would 
be  doubtful  on  The  Major's  side,  so  she  kept  still.  As 
they  went  up  the  front  steps  of  The  Major's  residence 
Albert  Luxy  stood  there,  took  off  his  hat  and  said: 

"You  are  just  in  time  to  let  me  in.  What  is  the 
matter,  you  all  look  so  hot  and  excited?" 

"Nothing,"  answered  Miss  Askwitch,  "only  we  ran 
a  little,"  and  they  all  went  into  the  parlor. 

Albert  had  on  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  a  new  necktie 
and  new  shoes  and  looked  as  nice  as  he  could  look. 
Luxy  had  the  air  of  a  man,  but  not  of  a  thoroughbred 
gentleman. 


62 

"How  nice  you  look,  Albert,"  said  his  aunt,  Miss 
Askwitch,  smiling  at  him  and  at  the  same  time  casting 
a  side  glance  at  Henrietta  to  see  what  effect  it  would 
have  on  her,  who  sat  without  any  expression,  though 
she  looked  at  him  indifferently. 

They  all  had  supper  and  then  Henrietta  said  she 
had  to  go  down  to  the  church  to  meet  Signer  Patruchi 
and  go  over  some  music  with  him;  so  they  all  went 
with  her,  Miss  Askwitch  arranging  to  throw  Albert  in 
Henrietta's  company  both  going  and  coming. 

As  Alvin  Berry  walked  down-town  after  supper  that 
night  he  went  just  ahead  of  Henrietta's  party  and  he 
passed  one  of  the  saloons  of  Berry  &  Son.  When  oppo 
site  to  the  saloon  he  saw  Signer  Patruchi  come  out 
and  hurry  down  street  toward  the  church  and  enter. 

That  evening,  in  Major  Ashcraft's  parlor,  Henrietta 
was  left  alone  with  Albert.  She  felt  no  particular 
embarrassment,  for  he  had  been  there  off  and  on  for 
years.  Her  thoughts  about  him,  if  she  ever  did  think 
about  him,  were  that  he  was  a  strong  young  man  of 
ordinary  ability,  who  could  be  useful  to  her  father  in 
duties  not  very  far  above  a  common  laborer. 

When  Albert  looked  at  her  very  strangely,  drew 
his  chair  up  close  to  her  and  tried  to  take  her  hand, 
she  pushed  her  chair  back. 

"Don't  be  afraid  of  me,  Henrietta;  I  would  not  hurt 
you;  I  love  you!" 

She  looked  at  him  with  surprise  and  with  a  very 
dignified  air  said: 

"I  would  prefer,  Mr.  Luxy,  that  hereafter  you  call 
me  Miss  Henrietta.  I  am  not  prepared,  as  yet,  to 
receive  love  from  any  man.  You  are  my  father's  friend 
and  guest  and  nephew  of  my  governess,  and  I  shall 
always  be  glad  to  receive  you  as  a  guest;  but  please 
do  not  mention  so  serious  a  matter  to  me  as  love!" 

Albert  said  very  little  more  that  night  and  soon  took 
his  leave,  with  a  very  determined,  ugly  look  on  his 
face.  As  he  passed  out  the  front  gate  he  muttered: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  63 

"I  can  charge  Alvin  Berry  for  that!  I'll  get  even 
with  him.  yet!" 

CHAPTER  X. 

Snickuls  was  always  welcome  in  every  saloon  in 
the  county,  one  reason  of  which  was — drunk  or  sober, 
he  always  brought  sunshine. 

It  was  about  9  o'clock  at  night  and  he  had  just 
come  from  the  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club.  Rather 
drunk,  he  stepped  into  Berry  Saloon  No.  1,  where  he 
first  made  his  appearance  in  Batesville.  The  room 
was  crowded,  so  he  stepped  up  to  the  bar.  Waiting 
his  turn,  he  said: 

"Ja — ake,  send — hie — a  lit — tie — hie — Old  Rye — o — 
hie— ver  to— hie— that  table— I'm  tired.  It's  my  last- 
hie — drink  tonight — hie — Jake — please,"  and  he  went 
over  to  one  of  the  seats  and  sat  down  at  a  table,  where 
two  other  men  sat  drinking  beer. 

When  the  whisky  was  set  before  Snickuls  he  took 
some,  settled  back  in  his  chair  and  watched  the  people 
in  the  room.  A  Salvation  Army  girl  came  in  quietly 
and  passed  from  table  to  table  selling  "War  Cry's." 
She  sold  her  paper  and  got  a  nickle  at  most  every  table, 
and  sometimes  several.  The  men  treated  her  with  the 
greatest  respect,  and  as  she  was  going  out  Jake  motioned 
to  her  and  handed  her  ten  cents,  telling  her  to  keep 
the  papers. 

Snickuls  was  almost  asleep,  when  a  bustle  was  heard 
at  the  door  and  in  marched  about  a  dozen  women  wear 
ing  the  insignia  of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  and  headed  by  Lucy 
Hurryup.  They  stopped  and  the  women  formed  a 
circle  around  her,  who  cried  out: 

"We  have  come  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  to  storm 
the  ramparts  of  Satan!" 

"Amen!"  chimed  in  the  rest  of  the  women,  some 
clasping  their  hands  and  looking  up  to  heaven,  and 
others  sinking  on  their  knees  to  the  saloon  floor,  wail 
ing:  "O  Lord,  save  them!" 


64  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Lucy  continued:  "We  command  you  in  His  name  to 
desist  from  selling  those  poor  lost  souls  in  this  room 
that  accursed  stuff  on  that  counter!"  This  she  shouted 
in  her  most  tragic  air,  while  the  rest  of  the  women 
shouted:  "Yes,  O  Lord!" 

The  barkeeper  and  the  men  present  were  astonished 
a  little  at  first,  and  then  calmly  looked  at  them  with 
great  amusement.  Jake  soon  interrupted  them  and  said: 

"Madam,  I  have  my  instructions  from  the  proprietors 
of  this  place,  and  their  word  is  law  here,  which  I  will 
read  to  you!" 

"Your  law  is  the  law  of  the  Devil,  and  our  law  is 
the  law  of  Almighty  God,  and  we  will  obey  that  and 
not  the  law  of  your  infamous  destroyers  of  souls!" 
shouted  Lucy. 

"Well,  keep  quiet,"  continued  Jake,  holding  in  his 
hand  a  paper  and  reading: 

INSTRUCTIONS  TO  ALL  OUR  BARKEEPERS. 

"It  has  come  to  our  ears  that  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  is 
liable  to  give  trouble  in  our  saloons. 

"Should  any  of  their  women  make  their  appearance 
at  any  time,  treat  them  courteously,  as  long  as  they 
conduct  themselves  inoffensively  and  do  not  disturb 
the  business  nor  the  patrons  of  the  saloons. 

"We  would  not  object  to  having  them  sing  a  hymn 
and  making  a  prayer;  but  we  will  not  tolerate  any 
abusive  language,  nor  will  we  permit  a  disturbance. 
Should  the  women  become  abusive  and  turbulent, 
politely  and  courteously  ask  them  to  leave;  but,  if  they 
will  not,  eject  them. 

"BERRY  &  SON." 

"What  does  the  Lord  Almighty  care  for  your 
accursed  proprietors,  who  are  coining  money  out  of 
these  poor  lost  souls,  going  down  to  perdition!  He  is 
no  respecter  of  persons  and  we,  his  servants,  will  not 
respect  your  infamous  proprietors'  laws!"  continued 
Lucy,  and  the  other  women  wailed:  "Amen!" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  65 

"Stop  right  there  now,"  said  Jake.  "You  heard 
what  the  proprietors  say  on  that  point.  What's  the 
reason  yon  do  not  come  in  here  like  the  Salvation 
Army  people?  They  never  give  any  trouble  and  are 
always  welcome.  Most  any  saloon  man  would  divide 
his  last  cent  with  them!" 

"This  is  a  free  country  and  I  will  say  what  I  please, 
and  who  are  you  and  your  infamous  proprietors  to 
deny  me  freedom  of  speech  in  the  work  of  the  Lord? 
In  spite  of  them  all  and  the  hosts  of  Hell  in  the  saloon 
business,  we  will  break  up  this  traffic!"  shouted  Lucy. 

"Put  them  out!  Put  them  out!"  shouted  men  from 
different  parts  of  the  room. 

Lucy  went  on:  "I  defy  any  of  you  to  lay  a  hand 
on  a  servant  of  the  Lord  here  in  His  holy  workl 
Better,  you  poor  sinners,  in  the  back  of  the  room,  call 
upon  God  Almighty  to  send  down  His  thunderbolts  to 
destroy  these  sellers  of  liquor,  that  are  rolling  you  down 
the  hill  to  hell!" 

Jake  came  out  from  behind  the  bar  and  stood  in 
front  of  Miss  Hurryup.  He  said: 

"Madam,  I  ask  you  respectfully  to  leave  this  room, 
and  that  immediately!"  Lucy  drew  herself  up  to  her 
full  height,  all  the  other  women  crowding  close  to  her. 
She  shrieked: 

"I  refuse!  and  where  is  the  man  in  this  country  who 
will  dare  to  touch  me  in  the  discharge  of  iny  holy 
duty?" 

She  was  a  large  woman,  but  was  no  match  for 
Jake,  who  could  handle  a  powerful  man.  Jake  stepped 
up  to  her  and  before  she  knew  it  grabbed  her  right 
wrist  in  his  vise-like  grip.  She  shrieked  and  kicked 
and  bit  and  struggled;  but  he  put  his  arm  around  her 
waist,  lifted  her  off  the  floor,  carried  her  kicking  to  the 
door  and  put  her  out  on  the  sidewalk,  locking  the  door 
in  her  face. 

Jake  came  back  to  the  bar  sucking  his  hand,  which 
Lucy  had  bit,  and  said  to  the  rest  of  the  women,  who 


00  COLONEL    BERRY  S    CHALLENGE 

were  huddled  like  sheep  in  the  middle  of  the  room: 
"Now,  ladies,  the  balance  of  you  can  stay  here  a  short 
while  if  you  will  create  no  disturbance;  but  if  you 
want  to  go  home,  I  will  conduct  you  out  by  the  back 
way."  One  said: 

"I  would  like  to  go  home;"  so  he  took  them  all  to 
the  back  entrance  of  the  saloon  and  they  made  their 
departure. 

As  he  returned  to  the  bar  men  were  making  remarks 
like  this:  "Isn't  she  a  case-?"  "She's  a  regular  tigressl" 
"I  wonder  what  the  women  of  the  country  are  coming 
to?" 

Snickuls,  standing  in  front  of  the  bar,  spoke  out  to 
Jake,  back  of  it: 

"Say,  Jake — hie — when  Miss  Hurry — up — hie — dies, 
she  is — hie — going  right  off — to  hell — hie — to  convert — 
hie— the  Devil!" 

The  whole  saloon  roared  with  laughter  and  Snickuls 
toddled  out  the  back  way. 

Miss  Hurryup  got  home  that  night  dishevelled,  morti 
fied  and  alone  and  went  immediately  to  her  room.  She 
sat  on  her  bed  partially  undressed.  Lucy  was  a  finely 
developed  woman,  such  as  would  attract  many  men, 
and  a  number  of  people  wondered  why  she  had  never 
been  married.  Some  of  her  closest  female  friends 
thought  perhaps  she  had  a  secret. 

However,  she  felt  very  bad  from  her  contest  at  the 
saloon,  excitement  and  mortification  at  being  ejected; 
besides  both  of  her  arms  were  black  and  blue.  She 
exclaimed  to  herself: 

"What  shall  I  do!  I  am  worn  out  and  yet  I  cannot 
sleep!"  She  jumped  up  from  the  bed,  went  to  the  door, 
locked  it  and  listened;  then  she  went  to  the  window 
and  put  the  curtains  carefully  together  and  pulled  the 
shade  down  as  far  as  it  would  go.  Then  she  tiptoed 
to  a  closet,  opened  it  and  took  down  a  large  bottle. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  67 

Listening  again,  Lucy  took  it  to  the  light  and  exam 
ined  it,  which  read — written  in  ink  on  the  label  in  her 
own  handwriting: 

"OLD  RYE 
To  be  used  only  as  Medicine. 

"Good  for  Snakebite,  Heart  Failure,  Cramps,  Diarr 
hoea  and  Gold. 

"Caution:    Never  take  it  unless  you  need  it." 

"Well,"  said  Lucy,  "I  need  it  badly  enough  tonight!" 
and  went  to  the  washstand  and  brought  a  glass,  which 
she  filled  one-quarter  full  out  of  the  bottle.  She  then 
drank  it,  went  to  bed  and  slept  soundly. 

CHAPTER  XI. 

"Extra!  Extra!  All  about  the  Assault  and  Battery  1 
Buy  The  Clarion!"  shouted  the  newsboys. 

"Here  boy!  bring  me  a  paper,"  said  the  Rev.  Nostir, 
stopping  on  the  street.  He  read: 

"BRUTAL  ASSAULT  ON  PRESIDENT  OF  W.  C.  T/  U, 
BY  ONE  OF  BERRY'S  BARKEEPERS." 

"He  Throws  Her  From  His  Saloon  Into  the  Street. 

"Jake  Dun,  the  barkeeper,  is  arrested  and  brought 
before  Mayor  Homer,  who  fines  him  $100.00  and  gives 
him  60  days  in  jail.  Colonel  Berry  goes  bond  and 
brings  the  case  before  Judge  Elmira  Sims,  who  con 
sents  to  try  it  tomorrow." 

Three  days  after  Rev.  Nostir  read  The  Trumpet, 
which  came  out  in  large  type,  thus: 

"JAKE   DUN   ACQUITTED    OF   ASSAULT   AND    BAT 
TERY  IN  JUDGE  SIMS'  COURT. 
Lucy  Hurryup  Loses  Her  Suit." 

It  was  dull  at  the  Hinsdale  Hotel  and  Frank  Hinsdale 
stood  with  his  elbows  on  the  desk.  Tommy  Dust  sat 
in  one  of  the  office  chairs  dangling  his  feet  carelessly. 

The  door  at  the  hotel  entrance  opened  and  two  large 
men  came  in  with  their  valises,  which  Tommy  took  as 
they  went  up  to  the  desk  to  register.  He  watched  them 
closely  as  they  wrote  their  names:  ; 


68  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Morris  Walsh,  Wiscago. 

Hal.  Vanski,  Pittsvillecisco. 

One  of  them  took  out  his  handkerchief  to  wipe  the 
dust  from  his  collar  and  a  card  fell  from  his  pocket, 
which,  unseen,  Tommy  picked  up  and  put  in  his  pocket. 

"Take  them  up  to  Rooms  14  and  15,  Tommy,"  said 
Frank  Hinsdale,  giving  Tommy  the  door  keys  to  the 
rooms.  The  two  men  started  to  go  upstairs  with 
Tommy,  when  one  of  them  turned  and  said: 

"Mister,  we  are  salesmen.  We  will  take  those  rooms, 
but  we  would  like  a  place  where  we  can  spread  out 
some  papers  on  a  big  table — a  kind  of  private  place, 
you  know,  where  we  will  not  be  bothered;  not  a  sample 
room,  but  a  private  room  to  ourselves!" 

"Yes,  I  understand,"  answered  Frank  Hinsdale,  nod 
ding  his  head  knowingly.  He  turned  and  took  down 
another  key  and  handed  it  to  Tommy,  saying: 

/Take  them  to  their  bedrooms  and  then  show  them 
Conference  Room  No.  1." 

As  Tommy  led  the  men  upstairs  Frank  said  to  him 
self:  "I  know  where  I  can  find  out  what  you  chaps 
are." 

The  bedrooms  were  all  right,  but  the  new  arrivals 
now  wanted  to  see  Conference  Room  No.  1,  which 
Tommy  took  them  to  and  unlocked  the  door. 

They  stepped  in,  surveyed  the  large  room  with  its 
big  tables  and  easy  chairs.  One  walked  to  one  end 
of  the  room  and  looked  critically  around  under  tables 
and  at  walls  and  the  other  man  did  same  at  other 
end. 

"Are  there  any  bedrooms  next  to  this  room,  sonny?" 
asked  one,  pointing  to  the  wall. 

"No,  sir,"  answered  Tommy. 

"Guess  it  will  do,  Hal.  We  will  go  get  some  supper 
and  after  awhile  go  to  work,"  said  Walsh,  and  they 
went  out  of  the  door,  took  the  key  and  went  to  their 
bedrooms.  As  Tommy  went  through  the  hall  he  pulled 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  69 

the  eard  that  he  picked  up  from  the  floor  downstairs 
and  read  on  it: 

Morris  Walsh, 
Business  Agent 

United  Brewers'  and  Distillers'  Union  No.  6. 
He  saw  Ella  Rowe  coming  with  some  clean  towels 
and  he  put  the  card  into  his  pocket.     She  whispered 
as  she  went  by: 

"Who  are  the  new  ones,  Tommy?" 

"That  is  what  I  am  trying  to  find  out,"  said  Tommy. 
"Let  you  know  later,"  and  Tommy  went  downstairs  to 
the  desk. 

"Well,  Tommy,  what  do  you  make  out  of  those  men?" 
asked  Frank  Hinsdale. 

"They're  well  dressed  and  look  like  they  have  plenty 
of  good  things  to  eat,  Mr.  Hinsdale;  but  somehow  I 
don't  like  their  looks,"  answered  Tommy.  The  pro 
prietor  gave  a  low  laugh  and  said: 

"Well,  Tommy,  keep  your  eyes  open  and  mouth 
shut;  you  know  that's  the  rule  in  hotels." 

Tommy  threw  his  head  back  and  gave   one  of  his 
quiet,   characteristic   smiles,   went   to   a   chair   and  sat 
down.     A  messenger   came   in   and  handed   Frank — at 
the  desk — an  envelope.    He  opened  it  and  read: 
"Hall  of  I.  O.  O.  F. 

"Important  committee  meeting  at  10  o'clock.  Busi 
ness  will  take  about  three  hours.  You  must  come. 

"HORACE  DANBY,  Clerk." 

"Where's  Joe  Black,  the  night  clerk,  Tommy?"  asked 
Frank,  holding  the  note  in  his  hand. 

"In  at  supper,  sir,"  answered  Tommy. 

"Well,"  said  Frank,  "you  and  he  will  have  to  run 
things  tonight,  for  I  will  have  to  go  to  the  lodge." 

"All  right,  sir,"  said  Tommy,  and  Frank  Hinsdale 
went  out.  Tommy  went  to  the  desk  and  very  soon 
Ella  Rowe  came  downstairs  with  some  keys  of  empty 
rooms.  He  was  very  fond  of  Ella,  because  she  was 
so  kind  to  him  and  so  pretty. 


70 


"See  what  I  found  in  the  hall  upstairs,  Tommy?  I 
think  one  of  those  two  last  ones  dropped  it,"  she  said, 
holding  open  a  printed  piece  of  paper,  folded  once, 
which  he  took,  put  on  the  desk  before  him  and  read: 

"United  Brewers  and  Distillers  workmen  will  hold  a 
secret  meeting  tonight  at  Brotherhood  Hall.  You  are 
requested  to  attend  and  you  will  hear  something  that 
will  be  of  great  benefit  to  you. 

"MORRIS  WALSH,  Business  Agent, 

"United  Brewers'  and  Distillers'  Workmen,  No.  6." 

"Give  me  that,  Ella,  please,"  said  Tommy,  and  after 
talking  a  moment,  she  went  upstairs.  The  night  clerk, 
Joe  Black,  came  out  of  the  dining  room  and  went  behind 
the  desk  where  Tommy  was.  "Joe,"  said  Tommy,  "if 
you  will  let  me  go  out  for  one  hour  I  will  come  back 
and  sleep  until  twelve  o'clock  on  the  lounge  out  there, 
and  then  I  will  take  the  desk  for  two  hours  and  you  can 
sleep;  then  you  can  let  me  off  and  stay  until  morning." 

"All  right,"  said  Joe,  "go  out  and  get  some  fresh 
air  for  an  hour." 

Tommy  was  soon  at  the  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club, 
where  he  found  Snickuls  bending  over  a  checkerboard 
playing  by  himself. 

"Tom — my — hie — this  club — hie — is  getting  on — time 
again — come  beat — hie — me  a — game."  Tommy  sat 
down  and  played  with  him. 

"Now,  Tommy — hie — you  must  not — hie — keep — me 
out— hie— that— King  row!"  but  Snickuls  got  his  check - 
erman  in. 

Tommy  then  told  Snickuls  about  the  large  men  com 
ing  to  the  hotel  and  showed  him  the  card  and  printed 
piece  of  paper  Ella  Rowe  gave  him. 

Snickuls  read  both  of  them  very  closely  and  said 
nothing  for  a  little  while;  then  he  leaned  over  the  table 
and  remarked  earnestly: 

"Tommy — hie — there's — going  to  be — hie — a  big 
strike  in — hie — the  town!  Give — me  those  pa — hie — 
pers  and  I — hie — will  do — hie — some  good  with  them!" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  71 

Tommy  gave  them  to  him  and  said  he  had  to  go 
back  to  the  hotel. 

"Watch  those— hie— big  fellows  and— hie— let  me— 
hie— know,  Tommy,"  said  Snickuls,  as  Tommy  went  out, 
and  he  continued  playing  checkers  by  himself. 

The  next  morning  when  Colonel  Berry  opened  a 
soiled  envelope  in  his  private  office,  a  card  and  printed 
folder  fell  to  the  floor.  He  picked  them  up  and  read 
a  note  attached  to  the  card,  thus: 

"There  are  two  big  fellows  at  the  Hinsdale  Hotel 
on  this  business.  Came  last  night." 

The  Colonel  stepped  into  Alvin's  office,  who  sat  at 
his  desk,  placed  his  hand  on  his  son's  shoulder  and 
laid  the  papers  on  his  desk,  saying:  "Read  these  over 
carefully,  son,  and  come  to  me  in  a  little  while,"  and 
The  Colonel  went  back  to  his  own  office. 

Alvin  soon  joined  his  father  and  said  earnestly: 
"Father,  that  is  serious.  I  will  go  out  and  get  a  detec 
tive  to  go  to  their  meetings." 

Let  us  go  back  to  Tommy,  who  is  now  sleeping  on 
the  hotel  office  lounge.  At  twelve  o'clock  Clerk  Joe 
Black  shook  him,  waked  him  up  and  Tommy  went 
behind  the  desk  and  Joe  laid  down.  He  was  soon  in  a 
sound  sleep. 

"Now  is  the  time!"  whispered  Tommy  to  himself, 
when  he  heard  Joe  snoring  and  everything  else  was 
still.  He  slipped  into  the  office  closet,  finds  the  hidden 
keyhole,  opened  the  secret  door  and  is  soon  at  top  of 
iron  steps.  He  looked  through  crack  and  saw  Walsh 
and  Vanski  writing  on  a  table  that  was  covered  with 
letters,  circulars  and  envelopes. 

"I'm  getting  sleepy,  Vanski.  You've  written  your 
letter  to  headquarters  and  I've  finished  mine.  We'll 
mail  them  in  the  morning.  Now,  what's  the  program?" 
said  Walsh. 

"Well,"  answered  Vanski,  "we  will  commence  tomor 
row.  You  get  those  circulars  into  the  hands  of  Berry's 
men  and  I  will  get  mine  into  the  hands  of  Ashcraft's 


72 

men.  And  as  soon  as  we  can  get  a  meeting  and  organ 
ized,  we  will  put  up  a  strike,  unless  the  bosses  pony 
up  pretty  well." 

"How  much  shall  we  strike  them  for?"  asked  Walsh. 

"Not  less  than  two  thousand  dollars  apiece  to  stop 
the  strike.  We  will  see  how  things  work;  maybe  we 
can  get  more,"  answered  Vanski. 

"All  right,  let's  go  to  bed!"  said  Walsh,  and  they 
put  all  their  papers  in  valises  and  left  the  room,  while 
Tommy  slipped  quickly  downstairs  and  was  at  his  post 
at  office  desk  in  a  moment. 

He  took  some  paper  and  wrote  out,  as  near  as  he 
could  recollect,  what  the  men  said,  put  it  in  an  envelope 
and  stuck  it  in  his  pocket.  At  two  o'clock  he  woke 
Joe  Black,  who  took  the  desk. 

Tommy  said  he  wanted  a  little  fresh  air  before  lying 
down  again;  so  he  stepped  out  to  the  street;  but  he 
soon  was  at  the  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club,  where  he 
finds  Snickuls  fast  asleep. 

"Wake  up,  Snickuls,  here's  something  important  for 
you!"  said  Tommy.  Snickuls  took  it  to  the  light  and 
read  very  earnestly  what  Tommy  gave  him  in  the 
envelope,  and  Tommy  hurried  back  to  the  hotel,  where 
he  slept  on  the  lounge  until  morning. 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Lucy  Hurryup  always  had  a  remedy  to  give  other 
people  for  the  head,  the  stomach,  the  heart,  or  any 
part  of  the  body  of  man  or  woman — should  it  be  ail 
ing — of  her  acquaintance;  but,  if  she  should  feel  bad, 
which  was  very  rare,  she  did  not  seem  to  have  suffi 
cient  confidence  in  her  remedies  to  take  them  herself. 

Since  losing  her  assault  and  battery  suit  against 
Jake  Dun  and  the  Berrys  she  felt  bad,  or  imagined  she 
felt  bad.  Not  that  her  fire  or  enthusiasm  for  temper 
ance  and  prohibition  had  cooled,  or  her  ardor  lessened, 
but  she  thought  she  would  go  to  see  a  doctor,  and  that 
doctor  would  be  Dr.  Biddle,  who  kind  of  interested  her, 
for  what  reason  she  could  not  just  yet  tell. 


73 

The  Doctor  was  sitting  in  profound  thought  in  his 
office,  his  face  toward  the  door.  He  was  thinking  about 
an  intricate  case  he  had;  for  his  patients  and  their  ills 
were  always  carried  in  his  head,  and  he  counted  them 
over  in  his  mind  like  a  devoted  Roman  Catholic  would 
the  beads  of  her  rosary  every  day. 

He  heard  a  knock  on  his  door  and,  without  looking 
up,  said:  "Gome  in!" 

Lucy  Hurryup,  with  head  held  high  and  a  very 
consequential  air,  as  if  to  say:  "This  is  the  President 
of  the  W.  G.  T.  U.,"  flounced  into  the  room. 

She  expected  The  Doctor  to  come  forward,  greet 
her  and  obsequiously  ask  her  to  take  a  chair  and  what 
he  could  do  for  her;  but  The  Doctor  did  not  move  a 
muscle. 

What  a  strange  feeling  she  seemed  to  have  come 
over  her!  Should  she  sit  down,  or  what?  She  sat 
down  and  said: 

"Doc — tor,  I  am — not  feeling  well  and  do — not— 
not — know  what  part — of — my  body — hurts  me!" 

The  doctor  sat  like  a  statue,  but  she  felt  his  spirit 
coming  to  examine  her.  It  penetrated  her  clothing  and 
passed  through  every  part  of  her  body  and  being  and 
reached  her  heart. 

"Oh,  God!  he  is  reading  all  its  secrets!  and  now 
my  .brain!" 

Her.  limbs  shook;  she  tremblingly  arose  with  great 
effort  and  exclaimed: 

"Doc — doc — tor — what — what  part  of  my  body  is — 
ailing?" 

The  Doctor  looked  up  quietly  at  her  and  said:  "There 
is  no  part  of  your  body  ailing;  you  have  as  near  perfect 
a  body  as  one  could  have;  it  is  your  mind  that  is  ailing!" 

She  clasped  her  hands  and  trembled,  for  she  could 
feel  his  spirit  searching  her  very  inmost  being  and  get 
ting  all  .her  secrets,  though  he  was  not  looking  at  her. 
With  great  fear  her  hand  sought  the  door  knob,  which 
she  turned  and  rushed  from  the  room. 


74 

When  Lucy  ran  out  of  the  great  office  building  and 
reached  the  street,  where  the  fresh  air  struck  her  fully, 
her  old  self-coniidence  and  independence  came  back 
to  her,  and  in  a  few  moments  she  wondered  how  she 
had  displayed  so  much  weakness  in  The  Doctor's  office. 
Did  he  know  the  main  springs  of  her  life — the  workings 
of  her  heart  and  mind?  She  hoped  not,  but  was  not 

sure. 

********* 

Major  Ashcraft  walked  up  and  down  his  office  alone. 
He  heard  a  knock  at  the  door,  opened  it  and  saw  the 
dimpled  face  and  laughing  eyes  of  his  beautiful  daugh 
ter,  Henrietta. 

"Papa,  what  makes  you  look  so  serious  and  troubled 
today?"  she  said  sympathetically,  as  he  closed  the  door. 

"How  I  wish  I  had  a  son  to  help  me,  dear."  answered 
The  Major. 

"1  will  have  to  be  your  son,  papa;  tell  me  what  is 
the  matter!"  exclaimed  the  lovely  girl  with  earnest 
look. 

"Well,  Henrietta,  the  sub-bosses  and  men  in  my 
employ  seem  to  be  so  sullen  and  act  so  differently  in 

the  last  few  days  and  I  cannot  understand  it." 

i 

Another  knock  is  heard  on  the  door,  and  when  it  is 
opened  Albert  Luxy  is  admitted. 

"Albert,  do  you  know  why  the  Superintendent  and 
men  act  so  strangely  in  the  last  few  days?  I  can  see 
a  great  change  in  them,"  said  The  Major. 

Luxy  sat  down  not  far  from  the  other  two  and 
answered: 

"I  see  a  big  stranger  around  talking  to  the  men  and 
he  is  giving  them  a  paper  to  read.  That  must  be  the 
cause  of  it." 

"Well,  Albert,  I  wish  you  would  get  acquainted  with 
that  man  and  ask  him  if  he  will  not  come  to  see  me. 
I  want  to  have  a  talk  with  him." 

Luxy  arose  at  The  Major's  command  and  went  out. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  75 

Henrietta  kissed  her  father,  cheered  him  up  and 
took  her  departure.  The  Major  looked  at  her  proudly 
as  she  went  down  the  office  steps  of  the  great  factory 
building  and  said  to  himself  with  a  sigh: 

"She  is  the  image  of  her  departed  mother  and  just 
as  beautiful!" 

It  was  not  long  before  Albert  came  to  his  office  door 
again  and  brought  with  him  the  large  man  previously 
spoken  of,  who  seemed  perfectly  at  home,  when  The 
Major  invited  him  in  and  gave  him  a  chair. 

Albert  withdrew  and  The  Major  addressed  the 
stranger: 

"Someone  was  telling  me  that  you  are  a  stranger 
here,  and,  as  I  always  like  to  meet  strangers  in  the 
town,  I  asked  him  to  bring  you  to  see  me.  My  name 
is  Ashcraft;  what  is  your  name?" 

The  stranger  pulled  out  a  card,  and  with  a  very 
important  air  handed  it  to  The  Major,  who  took  it  and 
read: 

Hal.   Vanski,  Business  Agent, 
National  Shoe  Workers'  Union  No.  5. 

The  Major  read  it  very  thoughtfully  several  times; 
his  face  became  troubled  and  temples  turned  red.  He 
then  turned  to  Vanski  and  exclaimed: 

"What  do  you  fellows  want  to  come  here  for  and 
stir  up  trouble,  in  making  a  lot  of  men  dissatisfied  and 
unhappy  and  do  their  employers  a  lot  of  harm?  It 
will  cost  many  thousands  of  dollars  all  around!  Wrhy 
can  you  do  it?" 

Vanski  got  up  and  said  in  an  undertone:  "Are  we 
alone?"  "Perfectly  so,"  answered  The  Major.  Vanski 
drew  his  chair  up  close  and  said  to  him  in  a  very 
low  tone: 

"It  need  not  cost  many  thousands  of  dollars  if  you 
will  do  the  square  thing." 

"What  do  you  mean?"  asked  The  Major. 


76  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Draw  me  a  check  for  $1,500,  and  I  will  guarantee 
there  will  be  no  strike;  otherwise  there  will  be  one  in 
three  days  in  all  your  factories!"  said  Vanski. 

The  Major  sprang  up  and  with  great  anger  brought 
his  fist  down  upon  the  table,  exclaiming: 

"No,  sir!  not  one  cent  will  you  get!" 

Vanski  was  up  on  his  feet  very  quickly  and  had 
hold  of  the  door  knob  and,  turning  it,  he  said: 

"You  will  be  sorry!"  and  was  gone. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

After  dismissing  his  court  Mayor  Homer  motioned 
Albert  Luxy,  who  was  sitting  in  the  courtroom,  and 
walked  into  his  private  office,  off  the  courtroom,  fol 
lowed  by  Luxy. 

They  closed  the  door  after  them,  and  slipping  up 
to  his  desk,  he  picked  up  a  policeman's  shield,  stood 
in  front  of  Luxy  and  pinned  it  to  his  vest,  saying: 

"I  constitute  and  appoint  you  as  one  of  my  special 
detectives;  in  other  words,  a  'plain  clothes'  man.  You 
have  the  same  powers  as  a  uniformed  policeman,  only 
your  work  is  secret  and  theirs  is  open.  You  are  to 
keep  your  eye  on  all  law-breakers;  but  I  want  you 
to  pay  particular  attention  to  the  violators  of  the  new 
law,  requiring  saloons  to  close  at  12  o'clock  at  night. 
Button  up  your  vest  and  keep  your  shield  out  of  sight 
until  you  want  to  make  an  arrest." 

The  Mayor  opened  a  drawer,  took  out  a  revolver 
and  handed  it  to  Luxy,  saying: 

"Sometimes,  as  a  last  resort,  you  may  need  that." 
Luxy  put  the  revolver  in  his  hip  pocket,  shook  hands 

with  The  Mayor  and  went  out. 

********* 

Major  Ashcraft  sat  in  his  library  with  head  bent 
and  in  deep  thought.  He  looked  very  much  troubled, 
for  that  day  the  foremen  of  the  various  departments 
of  his  factories  came  to  him  and  demanded  ten  per 
cent  increase  in  wages  and  a  shortening  of  one  hour 
in  the  labor  day. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  77 

»  He  met  them  that  day  and  sat  at  the  head  of  a 
table  in  his  large  audience  room  and  a  dozen  foremen 
stood  around  it  in  groups,  talking  vociferously  and 
angrily. 

"But,  boys,  the  business  cannot  afford  to  comply 
with  your  demands!"  said  The  Major. 

One  of  the  most  aggressive  and  demonstrative  fore 
men  brought  his  fist  down  on  the  table,  and  looking 
defiantly  at  The  Major,  exclaimed: 

"Major  Ashcraft,  we  are  just  as  much  entitled  to  the 
comforts  of  life  as  you  are,  and,  by  God,  we  are  going 
to  have  them!" 

The  Major  set  his  teeth,  arose,  and  replied: 

"Boys,  it  would  wreck  the  business  and  I  cannot 
grant  it!"  and  he  turned  on  his  heels  and  left  the  room, 
leaving  an  angry,  gesticulating  lot  of  men  behind,  who 
shook  their  fists  at  his  retreating  form. 

In  his  library,asThe  Major's  mind  was  filled  with 
these  scenes,  a  soft  footfall  was  heard  behind  him. 
It  was  Henrietta.  She  came  and  sat  on  the  arm  of  his 
great  easy  chair,  put  one  of  her  beautiful  arms  around 
his  shoulders,  stroked  his  hair  with  her  soft  hand  and 
said:  "What  troubles  you,  Papa,  dear?" 

He  told  her  about  the  threatening  strike.  She 
carressed  his  head  and  kissed  his  brow,  and  he  said: 

"That  comforts  me  so  much,  dearie.  Go  to  the  piano 
and  play  'Schubert's  Serenade.'  That  is  what  your 
mother  used  to  play  me  when  I  was  troubled." 

Henrietta  went  to  the  instrument  and  her  soft  fingers 
ran  over  the  keys,  soon  gliding  into  that  masterpiece 
of  Schubert.  Her  touch  seemed  to  go  out  into  all  nature 
and  abstract  from  the  mountains,  the  valleys,  the  for 
ests,  the  brooks  and  the  rills,  the  scattered  melodies 
and  concentrate  them  in  those  notes.  When  she  had 
finished  her  father  was  fast  asleep. 

Henrietta  sat  on  the  piano  stool  and  saw  the  butler 
coming  in  with  a  note,  and  shook  her  finger  at  him,  in> 


78 

caution,  not  to  wake  her  tired  father.     The  note  was 
addressed: 

:  Miss  Henrietta  Ashcraft, 

Ashcraft  Villa. 

The  butler  retired  and  she  opened  it  and  read: 

"Miss  Henrietta,  our  Sunday  School  picnic  will  take 
place  up  the  river  next  Saturday.  Be  sure  to  bring  all 
your  household  and  provide  a  generous  lunch;  for  every 
family  is  supposed  to  contribute  in  that  way. 

"Miss  Askwitch  is  such  a  good  provider,  we  know 
everything  will  be  nice.  We  would  be  pleased  to  see 
The  Major  in  your  crowd,  if  he  can  possibly  come. 
Mrs.  Bowink,  Miss  Hurryup  and  most  all  the  members 
of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  promise  to  be  there. 

"We  will  be  especially  blessed  by  the  presence  of 
Reverends  Peaceboy,  Verigood,  Joylifter  and  Blissway, 
some  of  the  delegates  to  the  great  missionary  gather 
ing,  to  come  off  at  our  church  next  Sunday. 

"I  hope  you  and  Signor  Patruchi  have  your  program 
all  ready.  Please  present  my  respects  to  your  father 
and  Miss  Askwitch,  and  hoping  to  see  you  all  at  the 
picnic  tomorrow,  I  am,  "Your  friend, 

"PETER  NOSTIR." 

The  next  morning  Henrietta,  Miss  Askwitch  and  a 
maid  got  into  the  large  family  carriage  at  the  door. 
Behind  the  carriage  came  a  wagon  filled  with  baskets 
of  sandwiches,  pies,  cakes,  bananas,  jellies  and  such 
6ther  things  as  are  eaten  at  picnics. 

The  coachman  was  ordered  to  drive  by  Mrs. 
Bowink's,  whose  carriage  was  seen  at  her  door,  and 
she  had  a  wagon  full  of  nice  things  there  also.  The 
two  carriage  loads  and  wagon  loads  were  driven  to  a 
large  grove  up  the  river,  where  they  were  greeted  by 
Rev.  Nostir,  Deacon  Going,  Miss  Lucy  Hurryup,  the 
Four  new  ministers,  many  ladies  and  friends,  and  a 
few  men. 

The  young  ladies,  if  they  had  beaux,  very  soon  dis 
appeared  into  the  woods,  and  a  good  many  of  them 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  79 

played  with  the  children  and  sat  around  under  the  trees 
and  talked. 

There  are  cliques  in  picnic  gatherings,  like  in  other 
kinds  of  gatherings,  and  it  is  always  noticeable  how  the 
ministers  always  gravitate  toward  those  ladies  who  are 
able  to  do  so  and  who  are  noted  for  having  fat  lunch 
baskets. 

Mrs.  Bowink,  sitting  under  a  large  oak  near  Miss 
Askwitch,  leaned  over  to  her  and  said  in  a  confidential 
tone: 

"I  will  not  eat  at  a  common  table  with  those  noisy 
youngsters.  Let  us  take  our  baskets  and  some  blankets 
and  slip  out  into  the  woods  and  eat  by  ourselves.  We 
will  invite  Dr.  Nostir,  the  four  new  ministers  and 
Deacon  Going  to  go  with  us.  Henrietta  is  having  such 
a  good  time  playing  with  those  children  she  will  not 
want  to  go." 

Miss  Askwitch  nodded  her  head  and  Mrs.  Bowink 
beckoned  to  her  coachman,  not  far  away,  who  came, 
and  she  whispered  to  him. 

The  coachman  went  to  the  outskirts  of  the  grounds, 
where  the  wagons  were  in  charge  of  their  drivers  and 
told  two  of  them  to  drive  their  wagons,  in  a  round 
about  way,  to  a  beautiful,  secluded  spot,  and  to  spread 
some  thick  blankets  on  the  grass  under  the  trees,  with 
the  lunch  near  at  hand. 

Very  soon  the  coachman  came  back  to  Mrs.  Bowink 
and  told  her  gently  that  her  orders  had  been  obeyed. 
She  and  Miss  Askwitch  then  moved  their  chairs  a  little 
closer  to  the  ministers,  who  were  arguing  doctrinal 
points. 

Said  Rev.  Peaceboy: 

"But  you  know,  Dr.  Verigood,  there  are  many  thou 
sands  of  Presbyterians  who  still  believe  in  Predes 
tination." 

"Stop  arguing  predestination,  gentlemen,  and  let  us. 
go  and  get  some  lunch!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Bowink. 


80  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

The  ministers'  eyes  brightened,  for  they  knew  of 
Mrs.  Bowink's  wealth  and  how  well  she  fed.  The  great 
picnic  dinner  bell  rang,  and  Rev.  Nostir,  rubbing  his 
hands,  replied: 

"Well,  I  guess  the  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday 
School  can  take  care  of  the  children,  and  we  will 
accept  your  kind  invitation." 

The  five  ministers  and  Deacon  Going  followed  the 
two  women  in  a  path  through  the  woods,  where  they 
found  two  servants  waiting  for  them. 

"How  beautiful  and  nice  and  how  thoughtful  and 
kind  of  these  ladies!"  exclaimed  Rev.  Joylifter,  looking 
over  the  ground  and  particularly  at  the  well-stocked 
wagons. 

"Perfectly  delightful!"  replied  Rev.  Blissway. 

"Everybody  sit  down  on  the  blankets,  please,  and, 
James,  you  and  Bob,  bring  the  baskets  out  of  the 
wagon!"  ordered  Mrs.  Bowink. 

The  two  men  brought  heavy  baskets  and  the  min 
isters  and  Deacon  Going  sat  down  on  the  blankets  with 
the  ladies.  The  baskets  were  opened  and  elegant  table 
cloths  were  spread  in  front  of  them,  on  which  were 
placed  silver  knives  and  forks  for  seven,  and  orna 
mented  napkins.  Then  the  prettiest  kind  of  gilt  figured 
plates  and  saucers  came  next — and  what  was  that?— 
silver  goblets  lined  with  gold! 

The  food  was  then  brought.  Such  a  feast  there 
was  that  might  make  any  minister  open  his  eyes!  There 
were  sliced  turkey,  chicken,  cold  lamb  and  tongue, 
sardines,  bananas,  oranges,  apples,  nuts,  olives,  pickles 
and  a  lot  of  fat  bottles,  the  necks  of  which  protruded 
from  the  baskets. 

After  the  Rev.  Peaceboy  had  asked  a  blessing,  all 
the  ministers  and  Deacon  Going  smacked  their  lips  and 
commenced  eating. 

"How  precious  it  is  to  His  servants  to  think  that 
the  Lord  doth  provide!"  exclaimed  Rev.  Nostir  with 
his  mouth  half  full  of  turkey.  Deacon  Going  could 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  81 

not  forget  that  he  was  not  at  prayer  meeting  and 
answered: 

"A — a — men!"  as  he  reached  for  the  pickles. 

"This  nice  chicken  reminds  me  of  the  quail  that  the 
Lord  provided  for  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  desert," 
said  Rev.  Joylifter,  as  he  pulled  out  a  wishbone  from 
his  mouth. 

"Break  that  wishbone  with  me!"  cried  Miss  Askwitch, 
as  she  turned  soft  glances  on  Joylifter,  who  was  a 
bachelor. 

"Just  think  of  what  suffering  Elijah  must  have  gone 
through  when  he  was  fed  by  the  ravens,  brethren!" 
exclaimed  Rev.  Peaceboy,  as  he  dug  the  last  bit  of 
jelly  out  of  a  great  jelly  cup  with  his  spoon. 

"Yes,  it  must  have  been  great  torture,"  replied  Rev. 
Blissway,  finishing  up  a  whole  pie. 

After  they  had  about  cleaned  up  most  everything  in 
sight,  Mrs.  Bowink  exclaimed: 

"Gentlemen,  I  always  finish  my  meals  with  cham 
pagne.  James,  bring  us  a  basket  here,  and  some 
glasses!" 

James  brought  the  basket  and  Bob  placed  the  glasses 
at  the  elbows  of  the  men  at  the  table  and  Miss  Ask 
witch.  He  drew  out  the  cork  of  a  bottle  and  poured 
the  sparkling  contents  into  the  glasses;  at  which  the 
ministers  looked  guilty. 

Mrs.  Bowink  remarked,  holding  her  glass:  "If  any 
of  you  gentlemen  have  scruples  about  the  use  of  cham 
pagne,  of  course  do  not  take  it!" 

Each  minister  looked  at  his  glass,  took  hold  of  it 
and  waited  for  the  other  to  say  something.  Lifting  his 
glass,  the  Rev.  Nostir  said  in  a  pious  tone:  "The  Bible 
says,  'Give  strong  drink  to  him  who  is  ready  to  perish.' 
Now,  we  ministers,  who,  though  we  do  not  do  much 
physical  work,  are  daily  and  hourly  struggling  for  the 
mastery  of  the  soul  and  spirit  in  ourselves  and  others, 
so  much  so  that  we  are  under  heavy  strain,  both  spir 
itually  and  bodily,  and  a  great  deal  of  the  time  ready 


82  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

to  perish,  and  fulfilling  the  word  of  God,  brethren, 
we  can  cheerfully  drink  this  life-giving  draught  I" 

"A — a — men!"  said  Deacon  Going,  as  they  all  lifted 
their  glasses  and  drank. 

"That  was  delicious,  surely,"  said  Rev.  Peaceboy,  "it 
reminds  me  how  Christ  drank  wine  at  the  Marriage 
Supper." 

They  all  still  held  their  glasses.  "James,  open 
another  bottle  and  bring  those  other  kinds,  too.  Open 
that  Port  and  Sherry  and  Bourbon!"  commanded  Mrs. 
Bowink. 

James  filled  their  glasses  with  champagne  again 
and  when  they  had  all  emptied  them  the  ministers 
began  to  feel  pretty  good.  Rev.  Joylifter  edged  up  to 
Miss  Askwitch  and  slyly  took  her  hand,  and  Rev.  Peace- 
boy,  another  bachelor,  pushed  up  close  to  the  i  idi 
widow,  Mrs.  Bowink. 

Rev.  Joylifter  began  to  sing  a  little  love  song  to 
Miss  Askwitch  and  Rev.  Peaceboy  was  trying  to  take 
the  rings  off  the  widow's  fingers,  but  could  not. 

Deacon  Going  motioned  to  James  and  whispered: 
"Bring  me  a  little  of  that  old  bourbon!"  James  poured 
about  half  a  goblet  for  .The  Deacon  and  as  much  for 
Rev.  Verigood. 

"That's  the  finest  Bourbon  I  ever  tasted!"  exclaimed 
The  Deacon,  as  he  and  Rev.  Verigood  emptied  their 
goblets. 

James  had  gone  on  around  and  filled  practically  full 
all  the  goblets,  and  then  he  and  Bob  went  behind  a 
tree  and  laughed  so  hard  that  they  could  hardly  get 
back  to  the  company. 

The  ministers  all  drank  their  Bourbon,  but  the 
women  did  not.  Looking  around,  Mrs.  Bowink  saw 
Rev.  Nostir  nodding,  Deacon  Going  gapping  very  hard, 
and  Rev.  Verigood  lying  down. 

Rev.  Blissway  had  gone  off  into  the  woods  sick; 
Rev.  Joylifter  was  trying  to  kiss  Miss  Askwitch,  and 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  83 

Rev.  Peaceboy  was  trying  to  put  his  arms  around  the 
pretty  widow  herself. 

Jumping  up  she  went  to  James  and  ordered: 

"You  and  Bob  take  all  those  things  and  put  them  in 
the  wagon.  Be  quick!  and  then  go  and  get  the  carriages 
and  bring  them  here!" 

Before  the  things  were  taken  away,  Deacon  Going 
whispered  to  Bob: 

"Bring  me  a  little  more  of  that  Bourbon,"  which 
Bob  did. 

The  men  soon  brought  the  carriages  and  it  was 
with  difficulty  that  they  could  get  the  ministers  into 
them,  whom  they  drove  right  off  with  to  the  city;  but 
Mrs.  Bowink  and  Miss  Askwitch  walked  through  the 
woods  to  the  picnic  ground.  Every  few  moments,  on 
the  way,  they  turned  to  each  other  and  gave  a  hearty 
laugh. 

Many  people  asked  them  if  they  knew  where  the 
four  ministers  were  and  they  said  they  did  not  know. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

"Father,"  said  Alvin  Berry,  stepping  into  Colonel 
Berry's  office  and  closing  the  door  after  him  securely, 
"I  find  the  whole  city  is  pretty  much  in  a  state  of 
insurrection,  and  it  is  brought  about  by  those  two  labor 
leaders,  Walsh,  in  working  among  our  men,  and  Vanski, 
in  working  among  the  Ashcraft  factories. 

"Of  the  twenty-five  hundred  men  you  employ,  about 
two  thousand  are  naturally  very  loyal  to  you.  The 
older  members  say  they  would  not  strike  under  any 
circumstances  and  give  Colonel  Berry  trouble;  for  they 
know  he  is  their  friend,  and  I  think  I  can  depend  on 
the  military  element. 

"But  there  is  a  new  lot  of  foreigners,  who  are  giving 
ready  ear  to  Walsh.  We  could  ignore  these  five  hun 
dred  if  it  were  not  for  the  fact  that  all  of  the  men 
working  for  Major  Ashcraft  are  dissatisfied  and  ready 
to  strike  at  any  moment.  They  will  more  or  less  affect 
our  men  and  no  telling  what  would  be  the  result." 


84  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Colonel  Berry,  who  had  been  writing,  turned  and 
looked  at  Alvin  thoughtfully,  as  the  latter  talked  from 
his  seat  by  the  side  of  his  father.  The  Colonel  said: 
"Son,  we  have  contracts  to  deliver  a  great  many  barrels 
of  whisky  in  the  next  thirty  to  sixty  days,  and  we 
would  lose  a  large  amount  of  money  if  our  hands  do 
not  work  and  leave  us.  We  would  lose  not  less  than 
ten  thousand  dollars  if  a  strike  were  to  last  thirty 
days,  and  double  that  for  sixty  days!" 

Alvin  folded  his  arms  and  asked: 

"What  would  you  suggest  and  propose  to  do,  Father?" 

"Well,"  answered  The  Colonel,  "the  information  we 
first  got  is  valuable  to  us  now.  That  was  to  the  effect 
that  each  business  agent  expected  to  get  at  least  one 
thousand  dollars  to  draw  off  and  subdue  the  strike 
among  our  men. 

"Pay  him  five  hundred  dollars  down,  if  he  agrees 
to  it,  and  five  hundred  dollars  one  month  from  now,  if 
he  goes  away  and  things  are  working  peacefully  here 
and  like  they  were  formerly.  Get  him  to  guarantee 
a  peaceful  condition  in  our  works  for  two  years  at 
least.  After  that,  or  by  that  time,  I  will  have  things 
in  a  better  condition  to  meet  a  strike!" 

Alvin  talked  a  few  moments  longer  and  then  went 
out. 

"Jake,  what  time  do  you  think  that  fellow  WTalsh 
is  likely  to  come  in?"  asked  Alvin  Berry  of  the  bar 
keeper  at  Berry  Saloon  No.  1. 

"Well,  Captain,  he  and  several  of  your  boss  work 
men  have  been  coming  in  about  nine  o'clock  for  several 
nights,"  answered  Jake  Dun  with  his  arms  on  the  bar. 

Alvin  pulled  out  his  watch  and  said: 

"It  is  quarter  to  nine  now  and  I  want  you  to  get 
your  best  liquors  ready,  so  I  can  treat  those  fellows 
fine.  Get  a  basket  of  champagne  handy,  too,  Jake, 
Do  not  spare  anything!  You  know  why!" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  85 

"Yes,  sir,  I  understand,"  replied  Jake,  who  hustled 
around  behind  the  bar,  fixing  things,  and  he  called  a 
couple  of  men  in  the  back  room  to  help  him. 

In  a  short  while  the  tramp  of  heavy  feet  was  heard 
and  seven  men  entered,  headed  by  the  labor  leader, 
Walsh. 

Alvin,  who  was  standing  near  the  bar,  stepped  for 
ward  and  held  out  his  hand  to  Walsh  and  exclaimed: 
"Is  this  Mr.  Walsh?  My  name  is  Berry!  Step  up,  all 
of  you!  It  is  my  treat!" 

Walsh  hesitated,  looked  at  him  suspiciously,  and 
then  took  his  hand. 

"Come  over  to  those  tables  and  take  seats.  Jake, 
bring  a  basket  of  champagne!"  continued  Alvin,  motion 
ing  the  labor  leader  and  six  of  the  sub-bosses  of  his 
father's  brewery  to  chairs  at  the  tables. 

They  all  went  over  there  and  sat  down,  Jake  and 
the  other  attendants  placing  glasses  on  tables  and  draw 
ing  corks. 

Alvin  entertained  them  with  the  finest  liquors  and 
a  good  lunch,  until  they  all  got  quite  happy  and  jovial, 
which  lasted  about  two  hours  and,  when  they  got  up 
to  go,  he  shook  hands  with  Walsh  and  said  to  him,  in 
a  low  tone: 

"Can  I  see  you  privately  in  the  near  future?" 

"I  will  call  on  you,  at  your  office,  in  a  few  days," 
whispered  Walsh,  and  shaking  hands  with  Alvin,  they 
all  went  out. 

Mrs.  Bowink  in  her  magnificent  turnout  drove  up 
in  front  of  the  Ashcraft  villa.  The  Major  happened 
to  be  looking  out  of  his  second-story  window  and  saw 
her. 

How  stylish  he  thought  she  looked  with  her  liveried 
coachman  and  footman;  how  pretty  she  was,  and  how 
elegantly  dressed! 


86  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

As  she  came  up  the  walk  he  thought:  "Well,  I  was 
going  down-town  right  after  dinner,  but  I  guess  I  will 
wait  awhile." 

"Is  Miss  Henrietta  or  Miss  Askwitch  in?"  asked  Mrs. 
Bowink  of  the  butler  at  the  door.  The  Major  just 
chanced  to  be  near,  stepped  up  and  exclaimed: 

"Why,  Mrs.  Bowink!  So  glad  to  see  you!  Gome  in! 
Henrietta  and  Miss  Askwitch  went  down-town.  They 
will  be  back  in  a  few  moments.  Henry,  tell  the  maid 
to  come  and  take  Mrs.  Bowink's  hat  and  things!" 

"I  just  came  in  to  ask  Miss  Henrietta  about  the 
great  Missionary  meeting  tomorrow  at  your  church," 
replied  she,  as  The  Major  offered  her  the  most  com 
fortable  chair  in  the  parlor. 

Henrietta  and  Miss  Askwitch  were  late  in  coming 
and  dinner  was  delayed;  but  The  Major  did  not  seem 
to  mind,  for  he  was  sitting  pretty  close  to  the  widow. 

The  other  ladies  were  at  the  milliner's  and  Miss 
Askwitch  could  not  seem  to  get  her  new  dress  just 
right,  which  she  expected  to  wear  when  she  would 
meet  the  Rev.  Joylifter  again  at  the  great  Missionary 
meeting  tomorrow. 

"I  will  go  on  home,  Miss  Askwitch,  so  as  not  to 
keep  papa  waiting  at  dinner,  and  I  will  send  the  car 
riage  back  for  you,"  said  Henrietta,  and  she  stepped 
out  to  the  street  and  entered  the  carriage. 

Henrietta  went  up  the  steps  to  the  front  porch  of 
her  father's  residence  very  quietly,  and  seeing  the  door 
slightly  open,  she  pushed  it  and  entered  the  heavily 
carpeted  hall,  which  gave  no  noise  to  her  tread.  To 
the  right  of  the  hall  was  the  parlor  entrance,  across 
which  hung  a  heavy  curtain.  Opening  this  a  little— 

"Oh,  Heavens!"  exclaimed  Henrietta,  catching  her 
breath  and  holding  up  her  hands,  as  she  stepped  back. 
There  was  Papa,  sitting  on  the  lounge  with  Mrs.  Bowink, 
and  he  had  his  arm  around  her  waist  and  was  kissing 
her! 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  87 

Henrietta  ran  upstairs  noiselessly  to  her  room,  and 
in  a  few  moments  she  heard  Miss  Askwitch  come  up 
the  front  steps  and  enter  the  house  with  a  great  deal 

of  noise,  as  usual. 

********* 

Alvin  Berry  thought  he  would  walk  down-town  by 
the  church  that  night  and  maybe  he  could  get  a  glimpse 
of  Henrietta,  who  he  knew  was  going  there  that  night 
to  rehearse  for  the  musical  program  of  the  great  Mis 
sionary  meeting  that  was  to  be  held  there  the  next  day — 
Sunday. 

As  he  walked  through  the  darkness  he  said  to  him 
self:  "How  I  wish  I  could  go  there  tomorrow,  just  to 
hear  Henrietta  sing!"  and  he  gave  a  deep  sigh. 

Would  he  ever  be  able  to  meet  Henrietta  again  and 
look  into  her  lovely  eyes?  Her  father  had  forbidden 
her  positively  to  have  anything  to  do  with  any  of  the 
Berry  family.  He  recollected  he  had  an  engagement 
to  go  on  a  drive  over  the  mountains  with  some  young 
men  and  young  ladies  tomorrow. 

"I  wonder  if  I  could  not  send  her  a  bouquet  in 
some  way?"  thought  he. 

"Yes,  now  I  have  it!  If  I  could  only  get  hold  of 
that  Signer  Patruchi,  the  organist,  and  get  him  on  my 
side,  I  think  I  can  accomplish  it." 

Alvin  remembered  that  he  saw  the  Signor  come  out 
of  Berry  Saloon  No.  6,  across  the  street  there,  some  time 
before,  and  he  went  over  and  entered  the  saloon. 
"Phil,"  said  Alvin  in  a  low  tone,  addressing  the  bar 
keeper,  "does  Professor  Patruchi  ever  come  in  here?" 

"Yes,  Captain,  he  comes  in  here  about  this  time 
every  night;  can  I  do  anything  for  you,  Captain  Berry?" 
answered  Phil,  keeping  several  customers  at  the  bar 
waiting  to  answer  one  of  the  proprietors. 

"No,  I  just  want  to  see  him  and  I  will  wait  a  little 
while,"  said  Alvin,  as  he  took  a  seat  at  a  table  near  by. 

Very  soon  in  walked  the  Signor  with  his  nervous 
eccentric  air.  Alvin  stepped  up  to  the  bar,  where  he 


88  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

stood,  and  held  out  his  hand  and  said:  "My  name  is 
Berry;  is  this  Signor  Patruchi?" 

"Si,  Signor!  Si,  Signor!  Zat  iss  my  name  and  I  haf 
seen  Signor  Berree  before;  but  now  haf  the  plaisure 
to  meet  him,"  exclaimed  the  professor,  shaking  Alvin's 
hand  with  a  jerk  of  the  elbow. 

"Come  and  sit  with  me  and  we  will  have  some 
Italian  wine,  right  from  your  own  country,"  said  Alvin. 

"Si,  Signor,  with  mooch  plaisure,"  answered  the  Ital 
ian,  his  face  beaming  with  smiles.  Alvin  motioned  to 
the  barkeeper,  who  presently  came  and  took  his  order 
for  a  bottle  of  Italian  wine.  The  Signor  drank  most 
of  it  himself,  and  in  conversation  Alvin  told  him  he 
was  a  great  admirer  of  Miss  Ashcraft,  and  woul;l  like 
to  ask  a  favor  of  him.  If  he,  Alvin  Berry,  would  send 
a  bouquet  of  violets  and  heartsease  to  him,  Signor 
Patruchi,  in  the  morning  (Sunday)  would  he  be  so 
kind  as  to  see  that  she  would  .get  it  before  service? 

"Si,  Signor!  Si,  Signor!  it  would  aflfort  me  mooch 
plaisure  to  be  of  sairveese  to  Captain  Berree!"  said  the 
professor  of  music. 

It  was  understood  that  the  bouquet  would  be  deliv 
ered  to  the  Signor  at  the  church  at  ten  o'clock  next 
morning,  and  he  shook  hands  with  Alvin  and  went  out. 

Alvin  went  on  down-town,  where  he  visited  a  florist, 
and  he  and  Captain  Berry  spent  a  long  time  devising 
and  arranging  the  most  beautiful  bouquet  that  could 
be  made  of  violets  and  heartsease. 

Taking  a  card,  Alvin  wrote  on  it: 

To   Miss   Henrietta   Ashcraft, 

from  her 

Playmate  of  the  Brook. 

which  the  florist  attached  to  the  bouquet  and  then  care 
fully  placed  the  stems  in  water,  to  keep  it  fresh  for 
the  next  day. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Major  Ashcraft  and  Miss  Askwitch  paced  the  front 
porch  of  his  residence  restlessly.  He  took  out  his  watch 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  89 

and  stepping  to  the  front  door  cried  out:  "Gome,  Hen 
rietta!  it  is  time  we  are  going  to  church!  We  will  walk 
along  slowly!"  and  they  descended  the  steps. 

In  a  few  moments  Henrietta  came  tripping  out,  the 
maid  and  butler  looking  out  the  door  after  her  as  she 
hurried  down  the  front  walk. 

"She  certainly  is  beautiful!"  said  the  butler. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  maid.  "Some  women  are  beau 
tiful  only  with  fine  clothes  on,  but  Miss  Henrietta  is 
beautiful  both  ways — with  them  on  and  with  them  off." 

Major  Ashcraft's  carriage  was  waiting  at  the  gate 
and  as  Henrietta  got  in  after  the  other  two,  Miss  Ask- 
witch  remarked: 

"Such  a  fine  day!  We  ought  to  have  a  tremendous 
congregation!" 

In  a  few  moments  they  saw  Mrs.  Bowink's  carriage, 
who  waved  her  hand  at  them,  and  as  they  reached  the 
more  central  parts  of  the  town  throngs  of  finely  dressed 
men  and  women  passed  up  and  down  the  sidewalks,  a 
great  many  going  to  church,  and  some  not. 

A  group  of  well-dressed  young  men  stood  on  one 
corner  and  one  of  them  said: 

"Look,  fellows,  here  comes  Miss  Ashcraft!  Take  a 
look!  If  I  had  a  girl  as  beautiful  as  she  is  I  would 
go  crazy!" 

"And  sings  like  a  bird!"  exclaimed  another. 

A  couple  of  blocks  away,  on  another  corner,  a  group 
of  rough  men  stood,  and,  as  The  Major's  carriage  whirled 
by,  one  of  them  exclaimed:  "There  goes  that  damned 
capitalist,  Ashcraft,  who  makes  his  money  by  grinding 
his  workmen  down!" 

"Yes,"  said  another,  "but  The  Unions  will  fix  him 
soon!"  and  he  doubled  up  his  fist. 

A  little  farther  on  Major  Ashcraft's  party  saw  some 
thing  like  a  procession,  and  there  marched  along  the 
sidewalk,  two  by  two,  with  Lucy  Hurryup  at  their 
head,  about  one  hundred  women,  bedecked  with  the 
insignia  of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.,  who  all  waved  their  hands 


90  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

and  handkerchiefs  at  Major  Ashcraft,  who  was  one  of 
their  main  coadjutors — and  with  such  a  good  bank 
account — as  they  passed. 

"What  is  that  large  vehicle  in  front  of  us?"  asked 
The  Major,  as  the  coachman  reined  up  a  little  bit  to 
get  by. 

"Why,  that  is  a  tally-ho,  Papa!  I  wonder  who  they 
are,  and  who  is  driving  it?"  answered  Henrietta,  bend 
ing  forward  to  look. 

The  top  of  the  vehicle  was  covered  with  finely 
dressed  young  ladies  and  young  men  and  the  inside 
was  filled  also.  They  seemed  to  be  having  the  best  of 
times  and  enjoying  themselves  greatly. 

"Children  of  Satan!  Breaking  the  Holy  Sabbath 
Day!"  exclaimed  Miss  Askwitch. 

"I  wish  I  could  see  who  is  driving!"  thought  Hen 
rietta,  as  they  drove  up  to  the  side  of  the  coach.  Now 
she  could  see — "Oh!"  It  was  Alvin  Berry,  driving  so 
steadily  six  beautiful  horses  with  arched  necks!  And 
who  was  it  sat  by  his  side,  laughing  and  showing  her 
pretty  teeth  but  May  Creighorn,  her  school  girl  rival! 

The  carriage  drove  by  so  quickly  that  Captain  Berry 
did  not  see  who  was  in  it,  for  he  had  to  pay  strict 
attention  to  his  horses,  and  almost  as  much  attention 
to  the  bright  girl  by  his  side,  who  was  full  of  wit, 
humor  and  repartee.  She  was  trying  her  best  to  fas 
cinate  the  rich  young  Captain  and  she  was  good  at  that 
kind  of  work. 

As  the  carriage  pushed  forward  the  blood  mounted 
Henrietta's  temples  and  suffused  itself  over  her  beautiful 
face  and  passed  down  her  shapely  neck  and  throat. 
She  felt  a  strange  feeling  at  her  heart. 

"You  look  so  hot,  Henrietta,"  said  The  Major.  "Give 
her  a  fan,  Miss  Askwitch." 

"I  do  feel  warm,  Papa,"  answered  she,  taking  the 
fan  from  the  governess. 

The  party  soon  drove  up  in  front  of  the  great,  fash 
ionable  church  and  they  got  out  and  entered,  Henrietta 


91 


going  to  the  choir,  and  The  Major,  with  Miss  Askwitch, 
to  his  elegant  pew. 

After  speaking  to  the  different  members  of  the  choir, 
Henrietta  went  into  the  room  back  of  the  great  organ, 
built  for  the  comfort  of  the  choir,  and  threw  herself 
down  in  a  chair. 

"May  Creighorn!  May  Creighorn!"  she  exclaimed 
to  herself,  and  got  up  and  paced  the  floor  like  a  tigress. 
Well,  indeed,  had  Dr.  Biddle  uttered  the  word  "Ten 
dencies." 

A  knock  was  heard  on  the  door  and  Henrietta  opened 
it.  In  stepped  Signor  Patruchi,  all  smiles,  holding  some 
thing  very  carefully  which  was  covered  up. 

"How  iss  ze  charmante  Miss  Henriettar  zis  morn 
ing?  I  haf  a  present  for  you.  A  boy  brought  ze  bouquet 
and  left  it  for  you.  He  gif  me  no  name,"  said  the 
professor,  bowing,  and  at  the  same  time  taking  the 
paper  from  the  bouquet  of  violets  and  pansys. 

"How  beautiful!     How  beautiful!"   exclaimed  Hen 
rietta,  and  she  turned  the  card  attached  over  and  read: 
To  Miss  Henrietta  Ashcraft, 

from  her 
Playmate  of  the  Brook. 

Signor  Patruchi,  seeing  the  color  coming  in  her 
cheeks,  said:  "I  must  go  and  see  after  ze  music  now. 
You  will  come  soon,  if  you  pleese,  for  all  ze  pepool 
vil  vait  for  you.  Come  soon,  pleese!"  and  he  left  the 
room. 

The  more  Henrietta  looked  at  the  bouquet,  the  more 
subdued  became  her  agitated  spirits  and  a  gentle  calm 
seemed  to  settle  over  her  nature.  It  was  not  a  large 
bouquet,  but  was  exquisitely  fashioned  and  constructed. 

She  took  the  cord  off,  went  to  the  glass  and  with  a 
great  pin  pinned  it  on  her  bosom,  and  then,  bathing 
her  face  with  a  towel  at  the  washbowl,  fixed  her  hair 
and  went  out  to  join  the  choir,  taking  her  seat  by  the 
Signor,  who  had  just  mounted  the  organ  bench. 


92  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Just  before  this,  when  Henrietta  was  entering  the 
church,  down  the  street  aways,  accompanied  by  Rev 
erends  Peaceboy,  Joylifter,  Blissway  and  Verigood, 
came  Dr.  Peter  Nostir  and  Deacon  Going,  who  hurried 
on  toward  the  church. 

They  happened  to  look  up  and  saw  Alvin  Berry 
driving  his  tally-ho  and  six  beautiful  horses  toward 
them. 

Rev.  Nostir  remarked  to  the  other  ministers:  "There 
is  one  of  those  Berrys,  brethren!  The  Devil  is  mar 
shaling  his  forces  for  the  day!" 

"Dreadful!    Dreadful!"  said  Deacon  Going. 

"The  wicked  shall  be  cast  into  hell!"  exclaimed 
Rev.  Peaceboy. 

"How  long,  O  Lord!"  uttered  Rev.  Verigood. 

"The  name  of  the  wicked  shatt  rot!"  said  Rev.  Bliss- 
way,  and  they  all  entered  the  basement  of  the  church, 
where,  in  Dr.  Nostir's  study  and  suite  of  rooms,  they 
prepared  for  the  services  to  take  place  upstairs. 

It  was  the  custom  for  the  minister  to  signal  the 
organist  five  minutes  before  he  would  enter  the  pulpit, 
by  means  of  pulling  a  bell,  and  then  the  organ  would 
begin  to  play  the  prelude  to  the  service.  Then  he  would 
signal  the  organist  again,  which  would  mean  that  he 
was  about  to  enter  the  pulpit  from  a  door  at  the  rear. 

The  first  signal  had  come,  and  soft,  mysterious 
sounds  seemed  to  creep  upon  the  audience  from  far 
away.  Signer  Patruchi  was  a  master  at  the  organ  and 
the  tones  he  brought  forth  filled  Henrietta  with  inspira 
tion.  The  second  signal  came  and  all  the  ministers 
entered  from  the  rear  and  took  seats  behind  the  pulpit, 
the  organ  tones  changing  from  pianissimo  to  crescendo 
and  forte,  and  Henrietta  arose  with  a  sheet  of  music 
and  stood  at  the  railing  of  the  choir,  facing  the  pulpit. 

"Isn't  she  a  beauty?"  whispered  one  of  the  girls 
of  the  choir  to  another.  "I  wonder  where  she  got  that 
wonderful  bouquet?  Isn't  it  exquisite?" 


93 

"Why,  I  guess  Albert  Luxy  gave  it  to  her;  he  has 
been  trying  to  pay  her  attention  some,"  said  the  other. 

The  accompaniment  to  Henrietta's  offertory  began, 
and  then  the  vast  audience  of  two  thousand  heard  a 
voice  fall  upon  their  ears  that  sent  thrill  after  thrill 
through  them.  The  music  bore  the  following  words: 

"Consider  the  lilies  of  the  field  how  they  grow! 
They  toil  not,  neither  do  they  spin." 
And   when,   after   wandering   with   its   beautiful    notes 
through   its   arrangement,   it  closed   with: 

"And  yet  I  say  unto  you,  I  say  unto  you, 
That  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed 
Like  one  of  these,  like  one  of  these." 
There  was  a  stillness  so  sweet,  that  no  one  wanted  to 
move. 

Major  Ashcraft,  sitting  in  his  pew,  listened,  and  his 
head  sank  upon  his  breast  in  the  supreme  happiness  of 
the  parent  in  the  pride  of  his  child. 

In  a  few  moments  Rev.  Nostir  stepped  to  the  pulpit 
and  said:  "Let  us  pray  I" 

"Amen,"  said  all  the  ministers,  kneeling  down  on 
the  pulpit  in  different  attitudes. 

"A — a — men!"  exclaimed  Deacon  Going,  the  loudest 
and  longest  of  them  all. 

Rev.  Nostir  continued: 

"O  Lord,  we  thank  Thee  for  sending  this  vast  audi 
ence  to  hold  up  the  hands  of  Thy  servants — those 
disciples  who  are  working  in  Thy  vineyard,  those  min 
isters  who  are  commanded  to  go  and  preach  Thy  Gospel 
to  every  creature. 

"Wilt  Thou  put  it  into  the  hearts  of  these  people 
here  in  Thy  house  to  contribute  liberally  to  the  cause 
of  missions,  especially  to  the  poor  souls  in  the  Aleutian 
Islands.  Those  poor  souls  are  sending  out  their  Mace 
donian  cry  and  thousands  of  them  sinking  into  hell; 
because  they  have  no  one  to  preach  the  Gospel  to 
them! 


94  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Amen,"  chimed  in  the  preachers  and  Deacon  Going's 
voice  was  heard  above  all  the  rest,  groaning:  "A — a— 
men!" 

Rev.  Nostir  continued: 

"And  we  wish  to  ask  Thy  special  condemnation,  O 
Lord,  on  the  wickedness  in  this  city;  on  those  who 
are  the  cause  of  drunkenness,  the  immorality,  vice  and 
poverty;  wilt  Thou  pour  the  vials  of  Thy  wrath  on 
two  of  them,  who  are  especially  accountable  and  are 
the  enemies  of  Thy  saints!" 

"Amen!"  "Amen!"  "Amen!"  came  the  voices  from 
the  pews  occupied  by  Lucy  Hurryup  and  the  W.  C.  T. 
U.  people.  But  the  loudest  of  them  all  was  Deacon 
Going's  "A— a— men." 

Dr.  Nostir  preached  a  short  sermon  and  then  he 
was  followed  by  the  other  ministers,  who  made 
addresses  on  different  subjects. 

Rev.  Peaceboy  wanted  money  for  the  heathen  in 
the  Aleutian  Islands;  Rev.  Verigood  sought  aid  for  the 
savages  in  Alaska;  Rev.  Joylifter  asked  for  contribu 
tions  to  convert  the  Patagonians,  and  Rev.  Blissway 
begged  the  audience  to  give  him  money  to  save  the 
souls  of  the  women  in  Thibet.  He  then  offered  a 
prayer. 

Major  Ashcraft,  being  one  of  the  Deacons,  his  pew 
was  close  up  to  the  pulpit,  and  Mrs.  Bowink,  not  a 
member  of  the  church,  was  sitting  with  Miss  Askwitch 
in  The  Major's  pew. 

During  the  service  Mrs.  Bowink  had  noticed  that 
Miss  Askwitch  was  making  eyes  at  Rev.  Joylifter,  who 
returned  the  gaze,  and  she,  herself,  had  been  guilty, 
somewhat,  in  throwing  glances  at  Rev.  Peaceboy. 

When  Rev.  Peaceboy  was  praying  in  the  pulpit  the 
audience  bowed  their  heads  on  the  pews.  Mrs.  Bowink 
happened  to  catch  the  eye  of  Miss  Askwitch  then,  and 
they  both  ducked  their  heads  and  laughed  so  hard 
that  the  people  nearby  thought  they  were  crying;  but 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  95 

they  did  not  know  that  the  two  women  were  thinking 
of  the  picnic. 

When  the  two  women  sat  up  straight  in  the  pew, 
after  the  prayer,  they  wiped  their  eyes  with  their 
handkerchiefs  and  the  people  thought:  "What  pious 
women  they  are!" 

"Will  Brethren  Ashcraft  and  Going  now  please  take 
up  a  collection!"  asked  Dr.  Nostir,  and  the  two  men 
started  down  the  aisle  with  collection  plates. 

The  organ  began  to  play  and  Henrietta  with  her 
music  stood  at  the  choir  railing  again.  Signor  Patruchi 
had  arranged  that  masterpiece  of  his  countryman, 
"Tosti's  Good-Bye,"  to  the  words  of  the  one  hundred 
and  forty-third  Psalrn,  which  fell  from  the  lips  of 
Henrietta  in  the  words:  "Hear,  O  Lord!" 

At  first  the  audience  listened  in  delightful  attention; 
then  they  were  swayed  with  emotion,  and  then,  as  her 
voice  mounted  heavenward  in  soul  entreaty,  the  audi 
ence  was  shaken.  Tears  rolled  down  the  cheeks  of  the 
young,  the  middle-aged  and  old.  There  was  not  a  dry 
eye  in  the  church  and  some  fairly  sobbed. 

It  was  some  time  before  the  church  was  composed 
enough  to  proceed  with  the  service,  and  afterwards  a 
good  many  of  the  truly  religious,  who  were  at  that 
great  gathering,  declared  that  the  sermons,  the  prayers, 
the  Amens  and  everything  else  that  transpired  were 
of  little  effect  in  comparison  to  Henrietta  Ashcraft's 
voice,  in  lifting  them  up  and  carrying  them  close  to 
the  throne  of  God. 

When  Henrietta  sat  down  by  the  organ  the  eyes 
of  all  the  choir  gazed  in  admiration,  and  Signor  Patruchi 
whispered  to  her:  "Magnificent!  Magnificent!  Bravo! 
Bravo!"  and  he  gently  clapped  his  hands  together.  The 
collection  taken  amounted  to  two  thousand  three  hun 
dred  dollars,  and  the  great  Missionary  meeting  closed 
with  the  Doxology.  Signor  Patruchi  played  "Stabat 
Mater"  as  the  congregation  went  out  and  everybody, 
young  and  old,  passing  the  choir  box  and  organ  strained 


96  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

his  neck  to  get  a  glimpse  of  Miss  Ashcraft,  who  had 
had  such  a  wonderful  influence  over  the  meeting.  Soon 
every  inch  of  standing  room  in  the  choir  was  filled 
with  male  admirers  of  Henrietta,  mostly  young  men 
whom  she  had  met. 

Signor  Patruchi  had  gone  into  the  room  behind  the 
choir  to  lock  up  his  music,  and  coming  back,  he  saw 
the  throng  surrounding  Henrietta,  and  laughingly 
exclaimed:  "Veil,  veil!  vat  is  zis?  Some  more  off  a 
congregation!  Miss  Henriettar  alvays  draws  ze  crowd!" 
and  he  stepped  out.  As  he  went  down  the  church  steps 
he  said  to  himself: 

"How  I  vish  I  ver  twentee  yers  younger.  She  iss 
veree  beauteefool." 

Major  Ashcraft  and  the  two  ladies,  who  had  been 
talking  to  the  ministers  when  they  descended  from  the 
pulpit,  thought  it  was  time  to  go  home,  inviting  all  the 
ministers  to  a  Sunday  dinner. 

Most  of  the  congregation  was  gone,  but  Henrietta's 
admirers  still  lingered  around  her. 

The  Major  saw  her  among  the  group  with  laughing 
eyes  and  dimpled,  rosy  cheeks,  receiving  the  compli 
ments  and  congratulations,  and  he  wondered  where 
she  got  that  beautiful  bouquet  at  her  bosom.  As  Hen 
rietta  was  trying  to  get  away  a  portion  of  her  dress 
hung  over  the  steps  of  the  choir  box.  Major  Ashcraft 
saw  a  feeble,  well-dressed  old  man  stop,  look  up  at  her 
and  then  stoop  over,  gently  take  the  edge  of  her  dress 
in  his  hand  and  kiss  it,  and  then  with  tears  in  his  eyes 
pass  on  out  the  church. 

The  Major  was  the  only  one  who  saw  this  little 
incident,  and  he  was  so  much  affected  by  this  tribute 
to  his  daughter  that  he  had  to  turn  away  from  the 
others  to  conceal  his  emotion. 

With  the  help  of  Mrs.  Bowink's  carriage  all  the 
ministers  were  taken  to  Major  Ashcraft's  house  to  din 
ner.  The  women  tried  to  find  out  where  Henrietta 
got  that  beautiful  bouquet,  but  she  only  said: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  97 

"Did  I  not  have  enough  beaux  today  to  get  a  bou 
quet?"  and  they  thought  it  was  given  to  her  after 
services.  She  kept  it  for  a  long  time  in  her  room,  until 
it  most  fell  to  pieces,  and  then  wrapped  it  in  a  large 
envelope,  put  the  card  of  the  donor  in  with  it  and 
locked  it  in  one  of  her  trunks. 

That  afternoon,  after  dinner,  the  ministers  and 
ladies  took  a  stroll.  Rev.  Peaceboy  got  a  chance  to 
propose  to  Mrs.  Bowink,  but  she  told  him  she  was 
engaged.  The  Rev.  Joylifter  was  more  fortunate,  for 
he  was  accepted  by  Miss  Askwitch,  the  marriage  to 
take  place  in  the  future,  whenever  he  could  provide 
a  home. 

A  number  of  times  prominent  young  men  and  middler 
aged  men,  from  different  parts  of  the  county,  called 
on  Major  Ashcraft  at  his  office  and  asked  the  favor  of 
an  introduction  to  his  daughter.  The  Major,  knowing 
them,  or  of  them,  would  say:  "Certainly,  come  home 
with  me  to  dinner,"  and  they  went. 

On  Saturday  night  The  Major  exclaimed  to  himself: 

"That  makes  the  seventh  this  week  who  wants  to 
marry  Henrietta.  Such  is  the  power  of  beauty  and 
songl"  and  The  Major  laughed  inwardly. 

Several  weeks  later  Miss  Askwitch  told  Albert  Luxy: 

"There  are  a  lot  of  swell  men  trying  to  marry 
Henrietta.  She  treats  them  all  politely  and  nicely,  but 
I  do  not  think  she  listens  to  or  cares  for  any  of  them!** 

"I  know  the  reason,"  said  Luxy,  and  he  turned  up 
his  nose  in  disgust  and  left.  When  he  was  out  on  the 
street  he  muttered: 

"If  I  could  only  just  get  him  into  some  disgrace^ 
maybe  she  would  turn  against  him  and  take  me  I" 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

It  had  been  the  custom  of  Colonel  Berry  for  years, 
on  Sunday,  to  drive  to  his  beautiful  park — the  Berry 
Park— and  sit  in  his  favorite  seat  near  the  great 
entrance  gate. 


98  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Everybody— and  there  were  thousands — who  came 
into  the  park  from  the  turnpike  and  then  had  to  come 
through  that  gate  and  pass  not  far  from  The  Colonel, 
who  sat  and  read,  smoked,  drank  his  brandy  and  talked. 

From  his  easy  chair  and  in  the  dense  shade  of  the 
huge  trees,  the  branches  of  which  came  low,  The  Colonel 
could  see,  to  his  right,  within  a  few  yards,  a  beautiful 
lake  covered  with  rowboats,  occupied  by  pleasure  seeki- 
ers,  with  swans  and  all  kinds  of  water  fowl  gliding 
over  it. 

To  his  left  the  great  road  from  the  turnpike  wound 
itself  around  through  large  trees,  sending  out  small 
roads  to  all  parts  of  the  park.  All  the  roads  were 
macadamized. 

There  were  great  grassy  lawns  and  small  grassy 
lawns;  great  flower  beds  and  small  ones;  places  for 
children  to  play  ball  and  all  kinds  of  games,  swings 
and  other  amusements. 

At  every  little  distance,  at  the  side  of  the  winding 
walks,  there  were  benches  to  sit  on,  and  at  intervals 
small  houses,  where  all  kinds  of  refreshments  could 
be  bought  at  moderate  prices. 

In  the  distance  through  the  trees  could  be  seen  a 
large  building  with  broad,  covered  porches  surround 
ing  it,  upon  which  were  chairs  and  tables,  where  people 
could  talk,  smoke  and  drink,  with  waiters  in  attend 
ance.  In  winter  these  porches  were  enclosed  by  glass. 

Inside  the  building  was  a  restaurant,  a  great  dancing 
hall  and  stand  for  a  band,  and  there  was  another  large 
hall  also  devoted  to  any  kind  of  public  meeting.  There 
were  summer  bath  houses  in  the  lake  and  winter  bath 
houses  in  the  large  building.  There  were  dense  forests 
in  the  park,  which  was  two  miles  square,  several  lakes, 
grottoes  in  the  hills,  a  menagerie  and  most  everything 
that  a  park  could  have  to  attract  people.  And  all  of 
this  was  free  to  the  public  use,  except  the  refreshments. 

Years  before  Colonel  Berry  had  found  the  land  and 
environments  a  huge  swamp.  He  bought  it,  cleared 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  99 

it  off,  cleaned  it  out  and  made  a  spot  of  beauty  there 
that  was  celebrated  in  all  that  part  of  the  country. 

As  usual,  Colonel  Berry  sat  in  his  easy  chair  with 
his  brandy  on  the  table  by  his  side  and  a  newspaper 
in  his  lap.  He  was  sleepy  and  nodded,  when  he  heard 
the  rough  voice  of  a  gatekeeper  cry  out: 

"Say,  what  do  you  want  in  here,  anyhow?  You 
can't  disturb  the  boss!  He's  asleep!" 

The  Colonel  opened  his  eyes  and  saw  a  pale,  crip 
pled  boy  on  crutches,  with  humped  back,  trying  to 
come  toward  him,  and  he  had  some  newspapers  in  his 
hand. 

The  Colonel  motioned  the  gateman  to  let  him  come 
and  the  boy  hobbled  up,  took  off  his  delapidated  hat 
and  said  in  a  weak  voice: 

"Bein'  as  you're  rich  and  I'm  broke,  I  thought  maybe 
you'd  buy  a  paper." 

"Sit  over  there  and  rest  yourself  in  that  chair  and 
tell  me  where  you  live,"  replied  The  Colonel. 

"I  live  anywhere  folks  will  let  me  lie  down  and  I 
can  get  'em  to  let  me  sleep,"  said  the  cripple,  sitting 
on  the  edge  of  the  chair  with  difficulty.  The  Colonel 
motioned  to  an  attendant,  who  always  was  in  a  short 
distance,  to  wait  on  him,  and  said: 

"Take  this  boy  and  give  him  all  he  can  eat  and 
drink,  somewhere  back  there,  and  tell  one  of  the  wagon 
men  who  is  going  to  town  to  take  him  to  Saloon  No.  23. 

"There  is  a  bed  in  the  room  over  the  saloon.  Get 
the  key  to  the  room  from  the  barkeeper  and  tell  him 
to  let  this  boy  occupy  room.  Tell  him,  also,  if  this 
boy  needs  anything  to  eat  at  any  time  to  give  it  to 
him!" 

The  attendant  took  the  boy's  hand  to  help  him,  but 
he  turned  and  bowed  low  to  The  Colonel,  saying  with 
tears  in  his  eyes: 

"I'm  not  much  good,  Colonel,  in  this  here  world, 
but  some  day  I'll  die,  an'  I'll  ask  God  to  thank  yer!" 
and  he  went  on  with  the  attendant,  while  The  Colonel 


100  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

held  up  his  paper  before  his  face  and  read  it  harder 
than  usual. 

Remaining  in  this  attitude  for  several  minutes,  he 
heard  a  strong,  modulated  voice  in  front  of  him  exclaim: 

"Good  morning,  Colonel!"  and  putting  his  paper 
down  on  his  lap,  Colonel  Berry  saw  a  Catholic  priest 
standing  before  him.  He  reached  out  his  hand  and 
replied:  "Why,  Father  McGill,  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you! 
Draw  up  a  chair  on  the  other  side  of  the  table.  Will 
you  join  me  in  some  brandy,  or  will  you  have  some 
thing  else?" 

The  priest  took  a  seat  at  the  table  smilingly,  as 
another  attendant,  in  park  uniform,  stepped  to  The 
Colonel's  side. 

"Take  Father  McGilPs  order,"  commanded  The  Col 
onel.  With  a  humorous  twinkle  in  his  eyes  the  priest 
said: 

"Brandy  is  good  enough  for  me,"  at  which  they 
both  laughed  heartily,  and  the  attendant  poured  Father 
McGill  a  glass  of  brandy. 

After  talking  about  the  weather  and  various  other 
unimportant  matters,  the  priest  said: 

"Colonel,  my  parish  has  been  bending  every  effort 
to  build  a  hospital,  of  which  you  no  doubt  have  heard, 
and  which  you  know  is  badly  needed  by  the  city  and 
county.  We  have  raised  enough  to  complete  it  lacking 
three  thousand  dollars.  Your  generosity  is  very  much 
taxed,  and  we  dislike  to  come  to  you;  but  we  are  at 
our  wits  end  and  thought  we  would  venture  to  ask  if 
you  could  help  us  a  little." 

The  Colonel  looked  at  the  priest  with  his  benignant 
gaze,  took  a  sip  of  brandy  and  said: 

"We  do  need  a  hospital  for  our  city  and  county 
badly,  Father.  How  much  did  you  expect  me  to  give 
toward  it?" 

"Why,  Colonel,  anything  you  are  pleased  to  give 
would  be  thankfully  received,"  answered  the  priest. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  101 

"How  much  are  you  short,  Father?"  asked  The  Colonel. 
"Three  thousand  dollars,"  said  the  priest. 

"Go  to  the  gate  house  and  bring  me  pen  and  ink!" 
ordered  The  Colonel  of  the  attendant,  who  soon  brought 
them  to  him.  Pulling  from  his  inside  coat  pocket  a 
check  book,  Colonel  Berry  wrote  a  check,  which  read 
thus: 

$3,000.00  FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK 

Batesville,  Yorksylvania. 

Pay    to   the   order   of   Father   McGill,   for   Hospital, 

three  thousand  and  °%oo : Dollars. 

Henry  Berry. 

and  tore  it  out  and  handed  it  to  the  priest,  who  took 
the  check,  read  it  and  sprang  forward  with  sparkling 
eyes.  Seizing  The  Colonel's  hand  he  exclaimed: 

"Thank  you,  Colonel!  Thank  you!  You  are  so 
good!"  Shouts  of  laughter  rang  out  on  the  air  at  that 
moment,  as  a  tally-ho  of  six  horses,  driven  by  Alvin 
Berry,  pulled  up  in  the  road  right  near  The  Colonel 
and  priest. 

Alvin  arose  in  his  seat  and  said,  laughingly: 

"Colonel  Berry,  we  have  come  to  present  our  com 
pliments  and  ask  you  to  treat  us!" 

The  Colonel  and  priest  arose  also,  and  the  former 
gave  a  most  courteous  bow,  replying: 

"I  give  you,  particularly  the  ladies,  my  most  dis 
tinguished  salutations,  and  would  say  that  my  son 
knows  where  all  the  good  things  are  and  you  are  all 
perfectly  welcome!" 

"Thank  you,  Colonel!"  said  Alvin,  as  he  drove  away 
into  the  Park  toward  the  large  refreshment  house,  and 
all  the  merry  party  called  out:  "Thank  you,  Colonel!" 

Father  McGill  was  profuse  in  his  thanks  again  and, 
shaking  hands  with  The  Colonel,  he  went  out  the  big 
gate.  When  he  was  down  the  road  aways  he  opened 
the  check  and  read  it  over  again,  saying: 

"He  is  one  of  God's  noblemen!" 


102  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

It  was  not  long  before  Alvin  came  back  with  the 
tally-ho  and  stopped  again. 

"We  have  stopped  to  thank  you  for  your  kind 
refreshments  and  I  now  call  upon  this  company  to 
give  three  cheers  for  Colonel  Berry!"  cried  Alvin,  stand 
ing  up,  and  the  young  men  and  girls  gave  three  cheers. 
They  then  drove  off,  waving  their  hats  and  handker 
chiefs,  to  which  The  Colonel  waved  his  hand,  until  they 
had  disappeared  down  the  turnpike. 

The  Colonel  had  hardly  settled  himself  in  his  chair 
again  before  he  saw  a  frail,  middle-aged  woman  enter 
the  gate,  look  around  and  did  not  seem  to  know  where 
to  go.  She  asked  the  gatekeeper  where  she  could  find 
Colonel  Berry  and  he  pointed  The  Colonel  out  to  her. 
Timidly  approaching  him,  she  said: 

"Is  this  Colonel  Berry,"  and  handed  him  a  piece  of 
paper.  He  took  it  and  read: 

"Colonel  Berry,  this  is  my  friend. 
"Yours  truly, 

"SNICKULS." 

"Sit  down  and  tell  me  what  I  can  do  for  you,"  said 
The  Colonel.  She  did  so  and  told  him  all  about  her 
dealings  with  Deacon  Going;  how  he  had  loaned  her 
$1,000  on  her  house  and  lot,  taking  a  mortgage  for  same 
and  charging  8  per  cent  interest  and  10  per  cent  com 
mission. 

"And  the  mortgage  is  now  due  and  I  cannot  pay 
either  principal  or  interest,"  said  Mrs.  Sugsby,  com 
mencing  to  cry. 

"Do  not  cry,"  said  The  Colonel,  "maybe  I  can  help 
you.  Your  land  is  so  situated  that,  in  my  opinion,  in 
several  years  it  will  easily  sell  for  $5,000.  I  will  give 
you  a  letter  to  my  attorney,  who  will  protect  you  in 
every  way." 

He  took  a  piece  of  paper  and  wrote: 
"I.  C.  Wisdom,  Attorney: 

"Please  pay  off  the  mortgage  of  Mrs.  Sugsby  of  $1,000, 
held  by  Deacon  Going,  and  whatever  interest  is  due. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  103 

Make  her  out  a  new  mortgage,  in  my  favor,  for  three 
years,  for  $1,000;  but  do  not  charge  her  any  interest. 
See  that  she  is  protected  in  every  way  and  charge 
expenses  to  me,  and  oblige 

"Yours  truly, 

"HENRY  BERRY." 

"Now,"  said  The  Colonel,  "if  at  the  end  of  three 
years  you  want  to  sell  your  land,  you  can  do  so  and 
pay  me,  or  you  can  have  the  money  longer,  if  you  need 
to,  without  interest. 

He  handed  her  the  note  to  the  lawyer,  which  she 
read  carefully,  and  then  put  her  head  down  to  the  table 
and  wept  bitterly  for  a  moment.  Looking  up  soon,  she 
wiped  her  eyes  and  said: 

"Excuse  me,  Colonel,  but  you  are  so  good  it  has 
overcome  me.  I  hope  God  will  give  me  an  opportunity 
to  repay  you  in  some  way.  Thank  you,  Colonel!"  and 
with  bowed  head  she  walked  out  the  gate  with  the 
note  in  her  hand. 

As  the  woman  passed  out  the  park  and  disappeared, 
a  man  with  a  wooden  leg  stepped  up  to  the  gatekeeper 
and  commenced  talking.  He  was  very  much  soiled, 
had  an  old  cap  and  very  delapidated  suit  of  blue  on, 
such  as  were  worn  by  Union  soldiers. 

"Would  there  be  any  chances  for  an  old  Union 
soldier  to  get  anything  ter  eat  round  here,  mister?" 

The  gatekeeper  looked  at  him,  as  if  greatly  bored, 
and  answered: 

"Got  any  money?  Lots  of  restaurants  in  there!" 
and  he  motioned  toward  the  park. 

"But  I  h'ain't  got  no  money!  H'ain't  seen  a  cent 
fur  a  week!"  said  the  man. 

"This  is  no  orphan  asylum.  Better  go  where  you 
can  get  some  money!"  exclaimed  the  gatekeeper. 

"I'm  just  starvin'!  Would  yer  help  a  poor  Union 
soldier  ter  get  a  meal,  some  way?"  said  the  man. 

"I  can't  help  you.  There's  the  boss  over  there- 
Colonel  Berry,  who  owns  everything  around  here — 


104  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

maybe  he  might  do  something  for  you,"  answered  the 
gatekeeper,  as  he  twisted  his  thumb  toward  The  Colonel 
without  looking  in  that  direction. 

"Kunnel  Berry!  Well,  he's  er  Runnel  an*  he's  boun' 
ter  help  a  Union  soldier,  who  fought  under  the  same 
flag  an'  we  both  fought  ter  save  ther  Union,"  said  the 
man,  and  drawing  his  wooden  leg  after  him,  he  walked 
over  to  where  Colonel  Berry  was  reading.  An  attend 
ant  came  up  from  a  little  distance,  thinking  that  the 
man  might  bother  the  Colonel. 

"Good  mornin',  Kunnel!"  exclaimed  the  wooden- 
legged  man,  and  he  gave  the  military  salute,  which  The 
Colonel  returned,  as  a  strange  gleam  came  into  his  eyes. 

"I'm  most  starved,  Kunnel,  an'  thought  because  I'm 
er  Union  soldier,  like  yerself,  an'  I  helped  ter  save 
ther  Union,  like  yerself,  an'  lost  er  leg  at  Gettysburg, 
yer  would  help  me!"  said  the  man  in  a  confident  man 
ner.  Another  strange  gleam — a  little  stranger — shot  out 
from  The  Colonel's  eyes,  which  the  wooden-legged  man 
thought  arose  from  enthusiasm  for  his  cause. 

"Sit  down  and  I  will  listen  to  you,"  said  The  Colonel, 
almost  coldly.  The  man  did  so  and  went  on: 

"I've  knocked  aroun'  in  all  sorts  er  places,  Kunnel, 
sence  the  war,  but  I  kin  never  forgit  when  General 
Meade  gave  ther  command  on  top  of  that  hill.  We 
waved  Old  Glory  an'  cut  loose  at  them  damned  Rebels. 
Why,  Kunnel,  we  just  mowed  'em  down  like  rats!" 

Colonel  Berry's  hands  gripped  his  chair  with  an 
iron  grip;  he  half  arose  to  his  feet  and  his  eyes  blazed 
like  fire;  but  he  slowly  sank  back  again. 

The  man  still  continued:  "Yes,  Kunnel,  we  jest 
swept  ther  life  out  er  them;  but  some  of  them  damned 
Rebels,  under  Pickett,  did  get  up  ter  ther  top  of  ther 
hill,  and  that's  ther  time  I  lost  my  leg;  fur  one  of  'em 
shot  me  in  ther  leg.  But  we  killed  most  all  them  Rebel 
rats,  Kunnel,  an'  I  say  it  was  er  glorious  victory!" 

Here  the  old  soldier  got  up,  stood  on  his  wooden 
leg  and  waved  his  cap  over  his  head,  shouting: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  105 

"Yes,  Runnel,  it  was  er  glorious  vict'ry  and  I  now 
give  three  cheers  for  Old  Glory  and  ther  Union!" 

Colonel  Berry's  face  was  as  pale  as  death;  he  sat 
upright  and  rigid;  his  hands  grasped  the  sides  of  hte 
chair  like  a  vise,  and  his  eyes  blazed  fire;  but  he  never 
spoke  a  word,  as  the  old  soldier  took  his  seat  again 
and  continued: 

"Was  it  not  glorious,  Runnel?  What  command  was 
yer  in,  Runnel?" 

Colonel  Berry's  answer  came  very  slowly,  and  it 
was  in  deep,  sepulchral  tones: 

"I  was  one  of  General  Pickett's  Colonels." 

The  man's  jaw  dropped  and  he  sat  speechless,  as 
with  wild  eyes  he  stared  at  that  magnificent  specimen 
of  a  gentleman  before  him,  whose  glances  looked  him 
through  like  a  sieve. 

Nothing  was  said  for  a  few  moments,  but  The  Colonel 
put  his  left  hand  on  his  right  side  and  thought: 

"Perhaps  this  is  the  man  who  shot  me  when  we 
charged  up  the  hill."  Then  he  spoke  to  the  man  and 
asked:  "Did  you  say  you  have  no  home  and  are  hun 
gry?"  The  old  soldier  squirmed  in  his  chair  and  stam 
mered:  "Ye— ess— se— ir;  I'm  hun— un— gry— an'  I— 
wan— ant  ter— git  ter— ther  Sold— yers'  Home!" 

Turning  to  the  attendant  near  by,  Colonel  Berry 
handed  him  a  five-dollar  bill  and  said: 

"Take  this  man  to  the  nearest  park  restaurant  and 
feed  him;  then  go  with  him  to  the  Mount  Joy  stage 
line  and  pay  his  fare.  From  there  he  can  take  the 
train  to  the  Soldiers'  Home!" 

The  old  soldier  said  nothing,  but  gave  a  military 
salute,  which  The  Colonel  acknowledged,  and  he  went 
off  with  the  attendant  into  the  park;  but  the  attendant 
heard  him  say  to  himself  a  good  many  times: 

"I  wish  I  had  not  er  been  so  hard  on  ther  Rebels!" 

"How  do  you  do,  Colonel!"  said  Judge  Elmira  Sims 
as  he  came  riding  up  on  horseback.  The  Colonel  arose 
and  hastened  where  the  judge  had  reined  up  his  horse, 


106  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

grasped  his  hand  and  replied:  "Get  off  and  have  some 
thing  with  me!  You  are  not  in  a  hurry." 

"All  right,"  said  The  Judge,  as  an  attendant  took  his 
horse,  and  he  went  and  took  a  seat  at  the  table  with 
The  Colonel,  who  poured  him  out  a  glass  of  brandy. 
The  Judge  drank  the  brandy  and  said: 

"That  is  the  real  stuff,  Colonel,  good  and  pure. 
What  a  pity  that  there  is  a  tendency  all  over  the  coun 
try  and  world  to  adulterate  everything.  It  all  comes 
back  on  the  adulterator  in  the  end.  For  instance,  in 
the  liquor  business,  if  a  manufacturer  makes  pure  stuff 
and  sells  it,  like  you  do,  he  will  get  the  praise  of  all 
his  customers;  but,  if  he  sells  impure  stuff,  though 
people  may  buy  for  a  while,  he  will  be  found  out, 
sooner  or  later,  and  suffer  in  condemnation  and  loss." 

"I  always  make  it  a  principle,  Judge,"  said  The 
Colonel,  "only  to  sell  such  liquors  as  I  would  drink 
myself,  unless  I  inform  my  customers  that  the  liquor 
he  is  buying  is  not  up  to  the  best,  and  they  can  have 
it,  therefore,  at  a  cheaper  price.  But  the  cheaper  priced 
liquor  will  not  be  adulterated;  it  will  be  cheaper, 
because  the  natural  products,  out  of  which  that  class 
of  liquor  is  made,  are  faulty." 

"You  are  to  be  highly  commended,  Colonel,"  said 
The  Judge,  as  he  took  another  swallow  of  brandy,  "and 
if  all  the  liquor  manufacturers  and  dealers  of  the  coun 
try  would  do  the  same  they  would  have  less  trouble. 
How  does  the  coming  election  look  to  you,  Colonel?" 

"Well,  Judge,  the  Prohibitionists  are  exerting  extra 
ordinary  efforts  to  gain  power  in  the  city  and  county, 
and,  if  they  do  get  the  power,  they  will  try  to  destroy 
me  and  all  my  interests. 

"I  am  trying  to  fieht  fair  and  at  the  same  time 
protect  myself.  How  it  is  coming  out  I  do  not  know. 
Major  Ashcraft  is  a  very  wealthy  man  and  is  leagued 
with  the  preachers,  W.  C.  T.  U.  and  a  large  body  of 
women  to  do  me  all  the  damage  they  can.  If  The 
Major  were  not  against  me,  I  would  not  have  any  fear 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  107 

of  the  others.  As  it  is  I  am  sorry  he  has  such  a  radical 
hatred  of  my  business  and  consequent  bitter  enmity 
to  me. 

"I  observe  that  there  are  several  Union  Labor  Lead 
ers  who  have  just  made  their  appearance  among  his  men 
and  mine,  teaching  them  that  we,  as  capitalists,  are 
grinding  them  down  and  not  giving  them  what  they 
ought  to  get.  What  effect  that  will  have  on  the  coming 
election  in  our  city  I  do  not  know." 

The  Judge  answered  The  Colonel: 

"I  had  some  experience  with  the  labor  leaders  before 
I  came  to  this  district,  and  it  is  my  opinion  that  nine- 
tenths  of  them  care  nothing  at  all  for  their  followers, 
or  constituents,  and  are  in  the  game  for  all  they  can 
make  out  of  it. 

"Their  claims  about  capital  being  arrayed  against 
labor,  to  stir  up  the  naturally  well-behaved  laborers, 
are  all  fallacious. 

"Labor  and  capital  are  inanimate  things  or  terms — 
dead  things.  They  cannot  be  personified  or  made  alive. 
It  is  only  a  question  of  intellectuality,  whether  the 
lower  intellectuality,  possessed  by  the  laborers,  or  the 
higher  intellectuality,  possessed  by  the  capitalists,  shall 
control. 

"History  and  every-day  life  prove,  almost  always, 
that  those  persons  having  the  higher  intellectuality  con 
trol  everything.  If  occasionally,  like  in  the  French  Rev 
olution,  that  class,  which  has  the  lower  intellectuality, 
controls  for  a  period  and  society  and  politics  are 
invaded  by  beastiality  and  brutality,  and  are  inverted 

like  a  pyramid,  upside  down,  resting  on  its  sharp  end 

it  is  because  that  class,  which  possesses  the  higher 
intellectuality,  has  been  careless  in  its  vigilance  and 
duties  in  society  and  politics. 

"But  as  soon  as  the  pyramid  of  society  rights  itself 
and  rests  on  its  broad  base  again — by  the  assumption 
of  power  that  naturally  belongs  to  that  class  that  has 
the  higher  intellectuality— then  everything  in  the  nation, 


108  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

state,  city  and  the  home  turns  to  a  period  of  prosperity 
again." 

"All  you  say  is  too  true,  too  true,  Judge,  and  so 
finely  described.  I  have  never  heard  ftie  matter  so 
clearly  explained,"  replied  The  Colonel. 

"Well,  thank  you  for  your  hospitality,  Colonel;  I  will 
continue  my  ride  through  your  beautiful  park,"  and 
The  Judge  arose,  shook  hands  with  The  Colonel, 
mounted  his  horse,  which  the  attendant  brought,  and 
rode  off  into  the  park. 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

When  Alvin  Berry  and  his  gay  party  left  the  park 
they  went  along  the  turnpike  until  they  came  to  the 
great  road  that  led  to  Scalp  Lock  Mountains.  The 
reason  they  were  called  Scalp  Lock  Mountains  was 
because  the  top  of  the  most  prominent  peak  looked 
like  an  Indian  holding  up  a  scalp  lock.  That  name 
is  what  the  earliest  settlers  called  them  and  they  had 
been  called  that  ever  since. 

The  ascent  of  ten  miles  was  graded  and  at  the  top 
of  this  most  prominent  peak  was  an  inn  or  hotel,  where- 
people  who  wanted  to  have  a  nice  drive,  get  the  exhil 
arating  air  and  see  the  mountain  scenery  could  stop  a 
short  time  or  stay  as  long  as  wanted. 

There  was  a  fine  view  from  the  broad  porches  of 
this  hotel  and  a  kind  of  park  that  surrounded  the 
building  and  that  extended  down  the  sides  of  the  moun 
tain  in  all  directions,  through  forests  and  valleys  and 
canyons.  Some  very  beautiful  spots  could  be  found, 
which  the  romantic  would  particularly  enjoy. 

It  was  the  purpose  of  the  party  to  drive  to  the 
hotel  in  the  morning,  get  dinner  and  then  the  members 
of  it  to  wander  through  the  park  until  four  o'clock  and 
then  go  home. 

As  the  spirited  horses  went  along  at  a  lively  pace 
Alvin  Berry  felt  that  enjoyment  and  exhilaration  that 
the  young  have  from  action  and  excitement,  and  the 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  109 

same  feeling  was  evident  in  the  girl  by  his  side  and 
all  the  couples  of  the  party.  They  sang  songs,  blew 
their  horns,  laughed,  joked  and  told  stories. 

May  Creighorn,  Alvin's  companion  by  his  side, 
would  sometimes  ask  him  to  let  her  drive,  which  he 
would  do  for  a  short  distance,  watching  her  very 
closely,  for  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  handle  the  reins 
and  drive  six  horses  properly. 

In  sitting  so  close  together  and  transferring  the 
reins  from  one  to  the  other,  their  arms  came  in  con 
tact  a  good  many  times,  which  made  the  excitement 
for  Alvin  more  intense.  He  was  beginning  to  feel  an 
influence  by  May  Greighorn  coming  over  him.  She 
was  very  pretty  and  bright  and  some  thought  bewitch 
ing  to  men. 

Every  little  while,  during  all  this  gaiety  and  enjoy 
ment,  Alvin  would  think  of  Henrietta  and  wonder  if 
she  received  his  bouquet  that  morning.  Then  a  cloud 
would  come  over  his  heart  and  he  would  wish  he  had 
never  seen  the  tally-ho. 

But  Alvin's  surroundings  and  the  natural  buoyancy 
of  youth  and  health  asserted  themselves  and  he  became 
the  life  of  the  party  again. 

They  reached  the  inn  at  the  top  of  Scalp  Lock 
Mountain  and  got  down  from  the  tally-ho.  Their  horses 
were  unhitched  and  taken  to  the  stables  by  grooms 
and  they  all  went  into  dinner,  each  young  man  con 
ducting  his  girl  to  a  seat  at  the  table. 

All  the  party  sat  at  a  specially  prepared  large  table 
and  all  the  girls  were  jealous  of  May  Greighorn; 
because  she  was  bright  and  witty  and  had  the  hand 
somest  man  in  the  party;  and  she  knew  that  he  was 
handsome  and  was  exerting  her  charms. 

When  the  dinner  was  finished  and  the  party  was 
all  out  on  the  broad  porch  of  the  inn,  May  Creighorn- 
exclaimed:  "Come,  fellows  and  girls,  and  let  us  go 
down  the  sides  of  the  mountain  among  the  trees  and 
rocks.  There  are  some  beautiful  places  down  there P 


110  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

4  They  all  agreed  and  started  down  among  the  trees 
and  rocks,  the  different  couples  getting  farther  and 
farther  apart,  until  Alvin  Berry  and  May  Creighorn 
found  themselves  alone  by  the  side  of  a  large  rock  in 
the  forest.  They  took  a  seat  at  its  base  and  looked  at 
the  scenery  in  the  distance,  which  was  very  fine. 

The  weather  was  warm  and  she  had  taken  off  her 
sack,  and  she  would  reach  over  his  knees  to  get  a  stone 
to  throw  it  down  the  mountain  and  hear  it  crash  among 
the  bushes  far  below,  and,  as  she  did  so,  those  white, 
plump,  bare  arms  would  rest  on  his  knees  for  a  moment. 

Sometimes  they  would  see  who  could  get  to  a  cer 
tain  place  first  and,  in  the  struggle,  her  full  form  would 
rest  against  his.  Sometimes  he  would  point  her  out 
views  in  the  distance  and  she  would  bend  forward, 
the  wind  would  blow  her  light  locks  into  his  eyes  and 
among  his  raven  hair,  and  her  breath  would  be  felt 
on  his  cheek. 

Sometimes,  when  he  was  looking  down  from  above 
her,  he  saw  undulating  fascinations  of  a  breast  of  snow, 
and  sometimes,  when  she  was  standing  on  a  rock  higher 
than  he  was,  he  saw  shapely  ankles  and  curves  of 
bewitching  hose. 

What  wonder  that  Alvin  was  becoming  more  and 
more  excited!  Oh,  inscrutable  law  of  nature,  that 
allows  the  weaker  to  usurp  the  control  of  the  stronger! 
They  were  trying  to  get  through  a  dense  growth  of 
bushes  and  it  seemed  as  if  they  could  neither  go  for 
ward  nor  back.  She  was  ahead,  but  very  close  to  him, 
and  turned  her  head  and  languid,  seductive  eyes,  which 
had  a  peculiar  brightness,  and  gazed  into  his  eyes.  It 
was  too  much  for  Alvin  and  in  a  moment  he  had  her 
in  his  arms  and  their  lips  met  in  a  long  kiss. 

Just  then  a  female  voice  close  by  cried  out  above 
them: 

•  "Captain  Berry,  where  are  you?  It  is  four  o'clock. 
May  Creighorn,  are  you  down  there?  It  is  time  to  go 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  111 

home!"  and  a  young  man  and  lady  made  their  appear 
ance  and  continued  saying: 

"We  did  not  know  whether  you  were  down  there 
or  not,  but  thought  we  would  tell  you  it  is  getting  late!" 

Alvin  drove  the  tally-ho  home  and  May  Creighorn 
sat  by  his  side,  but  some  of  the  party  thought  they 
were  unusually  quiet  in  comparison  with  what  they 
had  been  in  the  morning. 

That  night  as  Henrietta  Ashcraft  was  preparing  her 
beautiful  person  for  bed  she  heard  the  belated  horns 
of  a  tally-ho  as  it  passed  her  father's  residence.  Placing 
her  hands  to  her  temples  and  looking  with  wild  eyes 
she  exclaimed:  "Alvin!  May  Creighorn!" 

She  did  not  sleep  much  that  night  and  tossed  and 
talked  in  her  sleep,  crying  out: 

"She  shall  not  have  him!  He  is  my  playmate  of 
the  brook!"  The  next  morning  Major  Ashcraft  kissed 
Henrietta  good-bye  and  remarked: 

"Dear,  take  care  of  yourself.  You  were  on  a  good 
deal  of  strain  yesterday  at  the  church  and  you  show 
it  this  morning,  for  you  are  not  looking  as  well  as 
usual!" 

He  wondered  if  he  should  send  for  Dr.  Biddle,  and 
did  not  know  that  it  was  the  awakening  of  the  tigress. 

When  The  Major  arrived  at  his  office  that  morning 
things  did  not  look  as  usual.  The  office  force  were 
talking  low  and  in  groups.  He  could  not  see  any  men 
passing  to  and  fro  in  different  directions  as  usual,  and 
it  soon  turned  out  that  a  large  part  of  his  men  had 
quit  work. 

Some  of  his  foremen  had  not  gone  on  a  strike  and 
he  spent  the  forenoon  in  talking  to  them  and  writing 
to  distant  points  to  see  if  he  could  get  men  to  fill  the 
places  of  the  strikers. 

He  sent  word  that  he  would  not  be  home  to  dinner, 
but  that  his  carriage  should  call  at  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening,  as  usual,  to  take  him  home. 


112  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Major  Ashcraft  looked  at  his  watch  at  six  o'clock, 
and  the  carriage  had  not  come.  At  seven  he  said  to 
himself: 

"I  will  have  to  get  home  some  way,  if  I  have  to 
walk!" 

.  All  the  office  force  had  been  gone  for  an  hour  and 
he  stepped  out,  pulling  the  door  after  him,  which 
latched.  As  he  walked  down  his  office  steps  he  saw 
a  man  skulking  in  the  shadows  of  the  house,  who,  when 
he  saw  The  Major,  went  off  in  great  haste. 

"There  is  some  deviltry  going  on  I"  uttered  The 
Major.  "I  guess  I  will  go  down  to  the  Hinsdale  Hotel 
and  Frank  will  send  me  home;"  and  he  started  down 
the  street. 

He  had  not  gone  far  when  he  saw  a  half  dozen 
men  approaching  him  from  the  opposite  side  of  the 
street,  as  if  to  head  him  off,  and  he  heard  one  say: 

"There  goes  the  damn  capitalist,  who  will  not  give 
his  men  enough  to  live  on;  let's  get  him!" 

He  could  see  that  some  of  the  men  had  sticks  and 
he  was  sure  they  meant  him  bodily  harm.  The  Major 
had  won  quite  a  number  of  prizes  at  college  for  his 
swiftness  of  foot,  and  he  was  sure,  even  now,  as  old 
as  he  was,  he  could  run  as  fast  as  most  men;  so  he 
started  to  run,  to  see  if  he  could  reach  the  Hinsdale 
Hotel  and  safety. 

"We'll  teach  him  a  lesson!  That's  the  dam  'risto- 
erat!"  shouted  one  of  the  six  men  as  they  took  after  him. 

Though  The  Major  distanced  most  of  them,  two 
young  men  with  sticks  pressed  forward  at  his  heels,  and 
one  of  them,  just  as  he  was  opposite  Colonel  Berry's  old 
burnt  brewery,  struck  him  on  the  head  with  his  stick 
and  down  The  Major  fell.  But  something  happaned  to 
the  two  men.  A  shower  of  bricks  came  from  the  dark 
ness  of  the  old  ruins,  one  of  which  struck  the  first 
striker  in  the  stomach  and  laid  him  out,  and  another 
struck  the  second  striker  in  the  head,  with  the  same 
result.  A  stout  man  sprang  out  of  the  shadows,  seized 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  113 

The  Major  under  the  arms  and  dragged  him  into  the 
darkness  of  the  ruins. 

"Come  quick,  Tommy;  I  hear  the  other  strikers  com 
ing!  We'll  take  him  into  the  Snickuls  and  Tommy 
Club!" 

The  other  four  strikers  came  up  and  saw  the  two 
young  men  lying  stretched  out  on  the  ground,  and  one 
exclaimed: 

"How  in  hell  did  that  happen,  and  where's  Ashcraft? 
I  saw  him  go  down!  Look  out,  fellows!  Somebody's 
there  who  can  throw  bricks  pretty  hard!  We'll  take 
these  men  away  and  lay  for  those  who  ever  it  is!"  and 
they  carried  the  two  prostrate  young  men  up  the  street. 

Snickuls  and  Tommy  had  Major  Ashcraft  laid  out 
on  the  lounge.  He  was  unconscious  and  Snickuls  felt 
a  great  lump  on  the  side  of  his  head,  where  the  striker 
had  struck  him. 

"Look  in  that  table  drawer,  Tommy,  and  get  that 
bottle  of  whisky.  Put  some  in  a  glass  and  I  will  pour 
it  down  him.  If  he  begins  to  come  to  I  will  put  him 
on  his  feet  and  get  him  home  somehow.  I  will  take 
him  a  roundabout  way,  so  those  strickers  will  not  see 
us,"  said  Snickuls,  taking  the  whisky  from  Tommy  and 
gently  pouring  some  of  it  into  The  Major's  mouth,  who 
began  to  revive.  "Go,  Tommy,  steal  out  and  see  if 
you  can  see  any  of  the  strikers.  Keep  in  the  dark  and 
they  will  not  be  able  to  see  you,  Tommy!" 

Tommy  went  and  soon  returned,  saying: 

"I  see  them  way  up  to  the  end  of  Main  Street. 
There,  he  is  waking  up!  Gome,  Snickuls,  if  we  go 
out  of  the  other  end  of  the  ruins  they  can't  see  us!" 

The  Major  lifted  himself  partly  up  and  Snickuls 
helped  him  to  his  feet,  put  the  bottle  of  whisky  in  his 
own  pocket  and  he  and  Tommy  half  carried  and  half 
pushed  the  dazed  Major  through  the  ruins  to  the  other 
end,  where  Snickuls  whispered: 

"Watch  your  chance,  Tommy,  and  run  for  the  hotel, 
and  stay  away  from  here  for  a  week,  or  those  strikers 


114  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

may  catch  us!     I  will  get  him  home  some  way.     Go,, 
Tommy!"  and  Tommy  disappeared  into  the  darkness. 

Though  The  Major  was  dazed  by  the  blow  on  his 
head,  he  could  walk,  and  Snickuls,  with  his  arm  around 
him,  led  him  a  roundabout  way,  trying  to  get  him 
home.  Every  few  moments  he  would  make  The  Major 
take  a  little  out  of  the  bottle  of  whisky,  which  seemed 
to  strengthen  him. 

After  avoiding  the  city  as  much  as  possible  and  going 
a  long  distance  in  the  country,  Snickuls  brought  The 
Major  to  the  back  of  his  extensive  premises,  gave  him 
the  bottle  of  whisky,  got  him  over  a  fence  into  his 
own  yard,  and  left  him. 

In  a  short  time,  sitting  on  the  ground,  The  Major, 
very  weak,  seemed  to  recognize  things  around  him  and 
realized  where  he  was.  Staggering  to  his  f?ct  hi-  took 
a  good  swallow  from  the  bottle  and  that  gave  him 
strength  enough  to  reach  his  residence,  where  he  was 
soon  put  to  bed,  remaining  there  a  whole  week. 

Henrietta,  mostly,  watched  by  his  bedside  and  nursed 
him.  "You  know,  Father,  we  sent  the  carriage  after 
you,  as  directed,  at  six  o'clock,  but  the  strikers  stopped 
our  coachman,  made  him  drive  to  a  stable  and  locked 
him  up  in  a  room  until  morning,  and  then  let  him  go," 
said  she  the  next  day  to  him  in  bed. 

"Who  the  man  was  that  brought  me  home  and  where 
he  brought  me  from,  I  do  not  know.  It  seems  to  me 
I  heard  a  boy's  or  woman's  voice  a  good  deal  and  that 
man  gave  me  whisky;  but  it  was  absolutely  necessary 
in  order  to  give  me  some  strength,"  said  The  Major. 

"Well,"  remarked  Henrietta,  "you  must  acknowledge 
that  whisky  is  good  for  some  things.  You  say  that  it 
was  absolutely  necessary,  Father,  to  give  you  strength; 
then  is  it  not  in  the  position  or  condition  of  all  food, 
which  is  given  to  us  for  our  strength  and  sustenance? 
Whisky  is  necessary,  Father,  and  somebody  has  to  make 
it,  and  why  do  you  say  such  hard  things  against  those 
who  make  it? 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  115 

"Whoever  made  that  whisky  you  took,  Father, 
undoubtedly  saved  your  life." 

The  Major  said  nothing  for  a  moment  and  then 
quietly  said:  "That  is  true." 

Henrietta   went   to   the   table,   brought   the    whisky 
bottle  and  held  it  up  before  her  father  and  it  read: 
Old  Rye  Whisky, 

Made  by 

Berry  &  Son, 

Batesville,  Yorksylvania. 

The  Major  took  the  bottle  from  her  hand  and  looked 
at  the  label  long  and  seriously;  then  handed  it  back  to 
Henrietta,  turned  his  face  to  the  wall  and  went  to  sleep. 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A  rap  came  at  Alvin  Berry's  office  door  and  he 
opened  it.  A  clerk  handed  him  a  card  which  read: 

Morris  Walsh,  Business  Agent, 
United  Brewers  and  Distillers  Workmen  No.  6. 

"Tell  him  to  come  in,"  said  Alvin,  and  soon  Walsh 
entered  the  office  and  was  seated. 

"Excuse  me,  just  a  moment,"  said  Alvin,  as  he 
stepped  into  Colonel  Berry's  office,  who  was  seated  at 
his  desk,  and  whispered  in  his  ear. 

"Give  him  a  check  on  Wiscago  for  five  hundred  dol 
lars  and  tell  him  you  will  send  the  balance,  if  he  will 
do  what  was  proposed,"  answered  The  Colonel. 

Alvin  went  back  to  Walsh,  and  they  talked  confi 
dentially  for  some  time.  At  last  Alvin  took  a  check 
book  from  his  drawer  and  wrote  a  check,  as  follows: 
$500.00  Batesville,  Yorksylvania,  June  27,  1887. 

WISCAGO  NATIONAL  BANK. 

Pay  to  the  order  of  Morris  Walsh 

Five  Hundred  Dollars 

No.  1626.  BERRY  &  SON. 

Walsh  took  the  check,  read  it  slowly,  folded  it  up 
and  put  it  into  his  pocket.  In  a  few  moments  he  arose 
and  said: 


116  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"You  will  find  that  I  am  a  square  man,  and  there 
will  be  no  trouble  whatever,  or  disturbance,  as  far  as 
you  are  concerned,"  and  Walsh  left.  When  he  had 
gone  Alvin's  lip  curled  and  walking  into  his  father's 
office  he  said: 

"Well,  Father,  I  settled  it  with  him;  but  is  it  not 
a  shame  that  the  world  has  to  be  afflicted  with  such 
people!" 

The  Colonel  put  down  his  pen,  looked  at  Alvin  affec 
tionately,  and  answered:  "There  is  a  great  deal  of 
trouble,  Son,  in  this  world;"  then  he  laid  back  in  his 
chair  and  closed  his  eyes,  while  Alvin's  hand  rested  on 
his  shoulder. 

It  was  only  a  partial  strike  in  Major  Ashcraft's 
works.  Vanski  had  only  done  what  he  did  to  show 
his  power,  and  then  told  the  men  to  remain  away  from 
work  and  keep  quiet,  temporarily.  His  idea  was  that 
The  Major  would  accede  to  his  terms  soon  and  send 
for  him.  If  he  did  not  hear  from  The  Major  in  a  couple 
of  weeks,  then  he  would  let  loose  the  dogs  of  war  in 
earnest. 

The  city  had  been  very  quiet  for  several  days  and 
the  streets  were  in  normal  condition.  Henrietta  Ash- 
craft  ventured  down-town  to  her  milliners  and  met  one 
of  her  young  lady  friends,  who  asked: 

"How  is  your  father  getting,  Henrietta?"  "Oh,  he 
is  about  well,  now,  but  Dr.  Diddle  will  not  let  him 
come  out  yet,"  answered  she. 

"Henrietta,"  said  the  other  girl,  "I  want  to  tell  you 
something  I  heard  today.  It  was  that  May  Creighorn  is 
engaged  to  marry  Alvin  Berry." 

A  short  cry  came  from  Henrietta,  as  she  closed  both 
hands  tightly  and  drew  them  up  to  her  body;  but  she 
fumbled  in  her  dress  and  pretended  as  if  something 
sharp  in  her  clothes  had  stuck  her. 

"You  see,"  went  on  the  girl,  "Alvin  had  a  Tally-ho 
party  last  Sunday  and  May  Creighorn  sat  by  him  all 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  117 

the  way  to  Scalp  Lock  Mountain,  as  he  drove  there  and 
back,  and  they  were  together  all  day  in  the  mountains. 
The  girls  say  that  is  the  time  he  proposed  to  her.  Of 
course  I  do  not  know  if  this  is  true;  but  I  heard  it. 
Come  to  see  me,  Henrietta!  There  is  someone  waiting 
for  me  at  the  door!  Good-bye!"  and  the  girl  was  gone. 

Henrietta  stood  so  long  in  a  rigid  position,  uncon 
scious  to  all  around  her,  that  the  women  in  the  store 
looked  at  her  and  wondered.  Then  she  came  to  herself 
with  a  start  and  gasp  and  hurried  from  the  store. 

On  her  way  home  in  the  carriage  she  was  exceed 
ingly  restless;  but  she  reasoned: 

"It  cannot  be  wondered  at  that  Alvin  should  pay 
attention  to  some  other  girl.  My  father  has  forbidden 
me  to  have  anything  to  do  with  him  and  he  knows  it. 
All  my  family  and  connections  are  trying  to  destroy 
his  father's  and  his  business,  and  their  reputation  also; 
and  is  it  any  wonder  that  he  should  turn  from  me  to 
some  other  girl?  But  to  think  that  it  should  be  to  a 
girl,  who  had  stood  in  her  way  and  tried  to  thwart 
her  all  her  life,  from  childhood; — it  was  too  much!" 

She  stamped  her  foot  and  exclaimed,  with  a  deter 
mined  look:  "May  Creighorn  shall  not  have  him!  She 
shall  not  have  him!"  Did  you  hear  the  awakening  of 
the  tigress? 

The  evenings  were  long  and  the  light  of  day  slow  in 
departing.  After  supper  Henrietta  left  her  father,  Miss 
Askwitch  and  Mrs.  Jane  Bowink  on  the  front  porch, 
went  down  the  front  steps,  over  the  beautiful  lawn 
to  the  front  fence,  where  there  was  a  long  line  of 
flower-bearing  bushes,  skirting  the  inside  of  the  fence  to 
such  an  extent  as  to  hide  entirely  an  inside  view  from 
the  street. 

She  was  very  restless,  but  she  wanted  to  procure 
some  flowers  to  put  in  her  beautiful  hair.  As  she 
stood  there  plucking  some  flowers  she  heard  a  rumbling 
sound  and,  peeping  through  the  thick  hedge,  whom 
should  she  see,  driving  slowly  by  in  his  buggy,  but 


118  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Alvin  Berry.  He  stopped  and  looked  carefully  toward 
the  porch  and  put  his  hand  on  his  heart.  Then  he 
looked  up  the  street  and  down  the  street  and  appar 
ently  saw  no  one,  for  he  put  the  two  front  fingers  of 
his  right  hand  to  his  lips  and  threw  a  short  kiss  toward 
her  father's  house. 

It  was  a  slight  action  and  it  was  done  quickly,  but 
it  spoke  volumes  to  Henrietta,  and  a  thrill  of  happiness 
went  through!  her  being — but  what  was  that  heavy 
tramp  coining?  Suddenly  May  Greighorn  rode  up  on 
horseback  to  the  side  of  Alvin's  buggy  and  she 
exclaimed,  laughingly: 

"I  was  taking  my  afternoon  ride  and  saw  you  at 
a  distance  and  thought  I  would  see  if  I  could  catch 
you  before  you  would  get  home.  You  certainly  have  a 
beautiful  and  fast  trotter  in  your  buggy!" 

A  shadow,  at  first,  flitted  across  Alvin's  face  and 
then  he  held  out  his  hand  to  her.  How  the  blood 
seemed  to  surge  in  the  opposite  direction  in  Henrietta's 
veins!  and  how  the  fire  seemed  to  shine  out  of  her  eyes 
as  she  looked  through  the  hedge  at  May  Creighorn! 

"Yes,"  said  Alvin,  "Henrietta  is  beautiful  and  a  use 
ful  animal,  and  he  stroked  her  horse's  head,  which 
stood  close  up  to  his  wheels. 

"Henrietta!  Henrietta!"  exclaimed  May  Creighorn, 
with  a  disdainful  and  reproachful  look.  "Why  do  you 
give  her  that  name?" 

A  quick  smile  passed  over  the  face  of  the  concealed 
Henrietta,  but  passed  away  as  quickly.  Alvin  answered: 

"Some  five  or  six  years  ago  she  was  a  colt  and  I 
was  that  many  years  younger,  also.  Miss  Henrietta 
Ashcraft  and  I  were  quite  intimate  then  and  I  named 
my  colt  after  her,  and  she  has  borne  that  name  ever 
since." 

Another  smile  came  over  the  concealed  Henrietta's 
face,  and  a  frown  came  over  May  Greighorn's,  who  said: 

"I  thought  you  might  name  her  after  me!  I  want 
to  tell  you  something  I  heard  today,  which  came  from 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  119 

good  authority,  and  that  is  Major  Ashcraft  is  determined 
Henrietta  shall  marry  that  fellow,  Albert  Luxy,  and  they 
are  engaged.  But  that  is  neither  here  nor  there,  Cap 
tain.  Say,  I  want  to  take  a  long  horseback  ride  tomor 
row  afternoon.  Would  you  not  go  with  me  and  be  my 
escort?" 

Here  the  concealed  Henrietta  gripped  her  flowers 
so  violently  that  they  were  crushed  and  ruined. 

"Well,  I  am  highly  complimented  by  you,"  said 
Alvin,  "but  I  have  some  important  business  to  attend 
to  tomorrow  afternoon.  Could  you  not  make  it  some 
other  time?" 

"No,  Captain,  it  is  such  fine  weather  now,  and  I 
want  you  to  take  me  to  The  Misty  Abyss,  that  I  have 
heard  so  much  of.  They  say  it  is  such  a  beautiful  spot, 
at  Scalp  Lock  Mountain,  and  I  want  to  see  it.  Come, 
Captain,  put  off  your  business  until  some  other  day; 
please  do!"  exclaimed  May,  and  she  gave  him  such  a 
smiling,  winning  look  that  Alvin  could  not  refuse,  and 
said: 

"All  right,  I  will  meet  you  at  your  gate  at  three 
o'clock." 

"Be  sure  to  come  now!"  said  she,  smilingly,  as  she 
turned  her  horse's  head  and  rode  down  the  street, 
and  Alvin,  looking  toward  Major  Ashcraft's  porch,  as 
long  as  he  could,  drove  slowly  to  Colonel  Berry's  great 
premises  next  door. 

When  she  was  sure  that  Alvin  was  out  of  sight, 
Henrietta  stamped  her  foot  and  said  to  herself: 

"Scalp  Lock  Mountain!    I  will  be  there,  too!" 

The  next  afternoon  Henrietta  told  Manley,  her  groom, 
to  have  her  horse  and  his  ready  at  the  door  at  two- 
thirty  o'clock,  for  she  wanted  to  take  a  ride  to  the 
mountains. 

Manley  was  about  fifty  years  old,  a  good  rider  and 
had  been  a  servant  in  the  family  since  Henrietta  was 
a  baby.  She  kept  him  waiting  for  awhile,  so  it  would 
be  nearly  three  o'clock  before  they  started.  After  she 


120  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

and  Manley  had  gotten  out  of  the  city  into  the  great 
macadam  road  that  led  up  to  Scalp  Lock  Mountain,  sure 
enough  not  far  ahead  of  them  they  saw  Alvin  Berry 
and  May  Greighorn  riding  abreast  in  close  tete-a-tete. 

Henrietta  felt  so  jealous  that  it  seemed  she  could 
do  most  anything  to  May  Greighorn.  She  felt  like 
riding  forward  and  throwing  her  off  her  horse. 

Henrietta  had  reason  to  believe  that  Alvin  still  cared 
for  her  and  that  if  his  affection  were  wandering  it  was 
caused  by  May  Greighorn. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  couple  ahead  disappeared, 
as  they  went  around  a  curve  in  the  road  that  wound 
around  the  mountain  about  half  way  up. 

When  Henrietta  had  reached  three-quarters  of  the 
way  up,  she  told  Manley  to  drive  into  a  little  grove, 
hitch  the  horses,  and  they  dismounted. 

"Now,  Manley,"  said  Henrietta,  "T  want  you  to  stay 
right  here  until  I  return.  You  know  that  I  used  to 
come  here  so  much,  when  I  was  a  little  girl,  that  I 
know  every  inch  of  the  mountain  and  every  rock  and 
path  on  it." 

"But  you  are  not  going  into  the  mountains  alone, 
Miss  Henrietta?  That  would  be  dangerous  and  unwise  I 
and  I  do  not  think  your  father  would  approve  of  it!" 
replied  Manley. 

"That  is  what  I  wish  to  do,  Manley,  and,  if  you 
value  my  friendship,  do  as  I  tell  you  and  say  nothing!" 
said  Henrietta  in  an  excited  and  commanding  tone. 
"Well,  Miss  Henrietta,  if  you  will  go  alone,  take  one 
of  these  revolvers  to  protect  yourself  with!"  and  he 
went  to  his  saddlebags,  took  out  a  loaded  six-shooter 
and  handed  it  to  her,  which  she  put  in  her  sack  pocket 
and  left  him  standing  near  the  horses. 

Henrietta  knew  the  very  path  that  would  take  her  to 
the  Misty  Abyss,  which  was  a  famous  place  for  lovers. 
It  was  a  great  shelf  or  ledge  of  rock  projecting  from 
the  side  of  the  mountain,  from  which  a  view  of  moun- 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  121 

tains,  valleys,  a  great  river,  forests  and  cities  could  be 
seen  in  the  distance. 

There  were  seats  on  the  ledge  for  visitors  and  trees 
implanted  in  the  mountain  hung  far  over  them,  so  as 
to  make  a  cool  shade  to  those  seated  and  standing  below. 
Only  a  few  feet  from  where  people  sat  was  a  perpen 
dicular  fall  of  two  hundred  feet,  which  went  down  to 
the  rocks  and  river  beneath. 

There  was  an  iron  railing  at  the  edge  of  the  preci 
pice,  or  abyss,  made  by  chiseling  holes  in  the  rock  and 
inserting  bars  of  iron,  to  which  was  attached  the  rest 
of  the  iron  work  that  made  up  the  railing. 

On  the  right  and  left  of  this  ledge— a  part  of  the 
great  cliff — were  two  large  rocks,  from  which  two  small 
streams  bounded  into  space  and  fell  below,  first  appear 
ing  as  streams,  but  spreading  into  mist  as  they  reached 
the  distance  beneath — sometimes  showing  beautiful  rain 
bows  all  the  way  from  the  river  up.  Hence  the  name, 
The  Misty  Abyss,  and  appropriately  named  it  was. 
There  was  a  path  leading  to  the  ledge  from  the  right 
and  another  one,  which  was  an  exit,  on  the  left  of 
where  people  sat,  and  there  was  one  that  led  to  the 
trees  and  thick  bushes  that  overhung  the  benches  on 
the  ledge. 

Few  people  who  visited  The  Misty  Abyss  knew  of 
this  last  named  path;  but  Henrietta  did  and  she  sought 
it.  In  a  short  time  she  was  seated  quietly  in  those 
thick  bushes  and  trees,  where  she  could  see  everyone 
and  hear  everything  that  was  said  by  people  who  occu 
pied  the  benches  on  the  ledge  below. 

Soon  came  a  young  married  couple,  who  passed 
their  time  with  their  arms  around  each  other  and  in 
kissing  and  caressing  each  other.  Then  came  a  young 
man  and  lady  and  they  were  very  decorous  as  they 
sat  there.  Then  came  Alvin  and  May  Creighorn.  How 
jealous  Henrietta  was  of  May,  for  she  looked  real  pretty 
and  was  very  becomingly  dressed! 


122  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"How  beautiful!"  exclaimed  May,  as  she  went  to 
the  edge  of  The  Abyss,  leaned  against  the  railing  and 
looked  down  at  rainbow  after  rainbow.  She  seemed 
to  have  no  fear  at  proximity  to  danger  and,  as  she 
leaned  over  the  railing,  Alvin  had  to  pull  her  back. 

"Do  not  get  so  close,  Miss  Greighorn,  it  is  danger 
ous!"  he  exclaimed.  She  replied: 

"Oh,  Captain  Berry,  do  not  be  so  childish!"  They 
knew  the  last  couple  of  young  people  who  came  and 
both  Alvin  and  May  commenced  to  talk  to  them;  then 
May  would  spring  up  from  her  seat  and  run  to  the  rail 
ing  and  Alvin  would  take  hold  of  her  arm  and  pull  her 
away,  sometimes  having  to  put  his  arms  around  her 
and  use  his  full  strength  to  force  her  back. 

"Just  doing  that  to  make  him  take  hold  of  her!" 
whispered  the  jealous  Henrietta.  Alvin  was  now  seated 
and  May  by  his  side,  so  close  to  him  that  she  was  all 
but  in  his  arms. 

Henrietta  instinctively  felt  around  near  her  side  for 
a  rock  to  throw  at  her,  but  her  hand  struck  the  hard 
pistol  in  her  sack  pocket.  She  clutched  it  and  drew 
it  out.  How  she  would  like  to  shoot  May  and  wound 
her  in  such  a  way  that  she  would  forever  let  Alvin 
alone! 

May  at  that  moment  sprang  up  and  cried: 

"Come,  Captain,  let  us  go!  We  have  seen  enough  of 
this — but  where  are  my  gloves?  I  cannot  go  in  the 
sun  without  my  gloves!  I  left  them  on  the  piano  at 
the  hotel.  Captain,  please  go  and  get  them  for  me 
and  I  will  wait  here!" 

"All  right,"  said  Alvin,  and  he  started  for  the  hotel. 
In  a  few  moments,  looking  up  from  her  seat,  May  saw 
a  large,  beautiful  blue  flower,  near  the  little  stream 
on  the  left  that  sprang  over  the  rock  into  space,  and 
which  grew  out  of  some  soil  on  the  rock,  almost  above 
the  iron  railing,  and  she  exclaimed: 

"What  a  lovely  flower!  How  I  would  like  to  have 
it  to  wear  in  my  hair!  Could  you  not  get  that  flower 


123 

for  me?"  She  addressed  the  young  man  with  his  girl 
acquaintance. 

"Oh,  Miss  Creighorn!"  said  he,  "that  would  be  too 
dangerous  an  undertaking!  I  am  sorry,  but  I  will  have 
to  refuse."  "Well,  I  am  not  afraid  to  get  it,"  said  May, 
"I  have  often  climbed  worse  places  than  that!"  and 
she  stepped  to  the  end  of  the  iron  railing,  put  one  foot 
on  it,  caught  hold  of  some  grass  and  roots  that  clung 
to  the  rock,  put  her  foot  in  a  crevice  and  pulled  her 
self  up  to  the  flower  and  picked  it,  as  she  was  in  a 
half  lying  position.  The  two  women  held  their  breath 
in  horror  and  the  men  sat  paralyzed. 

With  the  flower  in  one  hand  May  began  to  climb 
down  the  rock,  when  her  foot  slipped  from  a  crevice, 
the  grass  and  roots  to  which  she  clung  gave  away,  and 
with  a  wild  scream,  May  Creighorn  turned  over  and 
over  and  plunged  into  The  Abyss  below! 

The  two  women,  who  had  watched  May,  fell  into 
a  faint,  and  the  men  rushed  to  the  railing,  but  they 
could  see  nothing  of  her,  and  Henrietta,  dropping  her 
revolver,  fled  down  the  side  of  the  mountain  to  where 
Manley  was,  who  helped  her  to  mount  and  they  rode 
rapidly  to  Batesville. 

Not  a  trace  of  May  Creighorn  was  ever  found.  It 
was  supposed  she  was  killed  by  striking  the  rocks  on 
the  side  of  the  precipice  and  fell  into  the  river,  which 
carried  her  body  away. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

"Extra!  Extra!  Buy  The  Trumpet!"  shouted  a  news 
boy  in  front  of  the  Hinsdale  Hotel. 

"What  yer  got!"  exclaimed  Tommy  Dust,  calling  the 
boy  to  the  entrance  door  and  buying  a  paper.  "Je-ru- 
sa-lem!"  said  Tommy,  reading: 


124  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

INDICTED    BY   THE    GRAND   JURY. 


Deacon  John  Going  Indicted  for  Obtaining  Money  Under 
False  Pretenses. 

Is  Arrested. 


Major  Ashcraft  Goes  On  His  Bond. 


"Buy  a  paper  from  me,  Tommy"  said  another  news 
boy. 

"All  right,"  replied  Tommy,  handing  him  a  nickel, 
"let's  see  what  your  Clarion  says  about  it,"  and  he  read: 

"Deacon  Going,  one  of  our  most  pious  and  esteemed 
fellow  citizens,  with  his  attorney,  I.  L.  Appeal,  visited 
our  office  and  stated  that  The  Deacon  had  been  indicted 
and  arrested.  Deacon  Going  says  he  knows  the  mali 
cious  parties  who  are  instigators  of  the  charge  and 
that  it  is  a  case  of  blackmail  on  their  part  in  producing 
false  evidence,  which  he  will  prove  soon  in  court. 

"It  seems  incomprehensible  to  us  that  a  man  of 
Deacon  Going's  high  standing  and  character  should  be 
guilty  of  any  kind  of  a  crime,  and  we  have  no  doubt 
that  he  will  be  able  in  every  respect  to  prove  his  inno 
cence  and  overthrow  the  malicious  parties  who  are 
trying  to  do  damage  to  such  a  good  man. 

"The  public  must  know  that  there  is  a  clique,  engaged 
in  certain  nefarious  ways  in  this  vicinity,  that  is  against 
all  good  movements  and  all  good  men." 

"My,  is  not  that  strong!"  exclaimed  Tommy,  but  he 
recollected  Frank  Hinsdale's  instructions  about  what 
is  necessary  in  a  hotel  boy,  held  his  tongue  and  took 
the  papers  into  the  hotel. 

"It  is  perfectly  preposterous!"  exclaimed  Rev.  Peter 
Nostir,  as  he  stood  up  and  spoke  to  a  party  of  women 
at  one  of  their  church  meetings. 

"Yes,  perfectly  preposterous  to  bring  such  a  grave 
and  false  charge  against  one  of  God's  Saints!  Think 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  125 

of  the  good  that  Deacon  Going  has  done  in  this  com 
munity.  A  man  that  always  is  at  church;  always  at 
prayer  meeting;  always  at  the  Temperance  Meetings 
and  by  his  example  leads  people  constantly  in  the 
right  path!" 

"It  is  perfectly  outrageous!"  said  Lucy  Hurryup. 
"Horrible!"  said  another,  which  was  echoed  by  a  dozen 
women. 

"But  The  Deacon  says  he  will  not  only  prove  his 
absolute  innocence,  but  will  make  the  guilty  parties, 
who  are  bringing  such  infamous  charges  against  him, 
pay  heavy  damages  for  libel  before  he  gets  through 
with  them!"  continued  Rev.  Nostir. 

"Good!  Good!"  exclaimed  an  aggressive  looking 
woman,  which  was  repeated  with  emphasis  by  the 
crowd. 

"Of  course,  so  long  as  we  have  an  infamous  Rum 
clique  in  this  county,  how  can  we  expect  anything  else 
but  swearing  to  such  false  lies,  to  bring  about  the 
destruction  of  the  purest  men  that  are  opposed  to  them!" 
said  Lucy  Hurryup. 

"That's  so!  There  is  no  doubt  about  who  is  at  the 
bottom  of  it!"  exclaimed  the  aggressive  woman,  "is  it 
not  like  all  their  works  of  The  Devil?" 

"Like  all  their  works  of  The  Devil?"  chimed  in  the 
rest  of  the  women. 

"But,  sisters,"  went  on  Rev.  Nostir,  "in  our  hours 
of  trouble  in  this  world  we  must  uphold  the  hands  of 
The  Saints;  we  must  put  our  arms  around  our  beloved 
brother  and  uphold  him  against  the  false  charges 
brought  against  him,  lift  him  over  The  Slough  of 
Despond'  and  bring  him  into  The  Promised  Land  of 
Innocence!" 

All  the  sympathy  and  influence  of  the  churches; 
all  the  influences  and  sympathy  of  the  W.  G.  T.  U. 
and  their  organ,  The  Clarion,  were  brought  to  the  aid 
of  Deacon  John  Going. 


126  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Judge  Elmira  Sims  sat  on  the  bench  of  The  District 
Court;  the  Clerk  was  at  his  desk;  the  Bailiffs  were  in 
their  positions;  the  prisoner,  Deacon  John  Going,  with 
his  attorney,  I.  L.  Appeal,  sat  in  the  area  inside  the 
railing;  the  Prosecuting  Attorney  and  other  lawyers, 
stenographers  and  newspaper  reporters  were  at  the 
large  table  inside  the  railing  also.  The  twelve  jurymen 
were  in  their  seats  and  The  Court  Room  was  crowded 
by  visitors  to  its  utmost  capacity,  among  whom  promi 
nently  appeared  the  church  people  and  women  of  the 
W.  C.  T.  U. 

Lucy  Hurryup  and  Rev.  Nostir  were  strongly  in 
evidence.  A  voice  rang  out: 

"The  State  of  Yorksylvania  against  John  Going — 
Obtaining  Money  Under  False  Pretenses!" 

The  Prosecuting  Attorney  placed  Hiram  Brickley  on 
the  stand  and  asked  him  to  state  to  the  jury  the  cir 
cumstances  that  occurred  in  relation  to  a  lease  given 
by  himself  and  wife  to  John  Going  for  a  Boarding 
House;  which  Mr.  Brickley  did  in  a  very  clear  and 
earnest  manner.  The  Prosecuting  Attorney  then  read 
a  copy  of  the  lease,  handed  to  him,  to  the  jury. 

"Was  there  any  trouble  between  you  and  Deacon 
Going  about  signing  the  lease?"  asked  the  Prosecuting 
Attorney,  and  if  there  was  tell  us  what  it  was." 

"Yes,  sir;  I  would  not  sign  it  at  first,"  answered 
Brickley,  "because  I  did  not  believe  myself  and  wife 
could  make  $100.00  per  month  above  expenses,  if  we 
would  keep  the  rooms  full,  which  Deacon  Going  said 
we  could." 

"And  what  induced  you  at  last  to  sign  the  lease?" 
asked  the  Prosecuting  Attorney. 

"Deacon  Going  said  to  me:  'If  you  will  sign  the 
lease,  I  positively  guarantee  that  you  shall  make  $100.00 
per  month,  clear,  above  all  expenses,  in  the  Boarding 
House,  if  your  wife  will  keep  the  rooms  full,' "  answered 
Mr.  Brickley. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  127 

"Did  you  keep  the  rooms  full,  and  what  kind  of 
prices  did  you  rent  them  for?"  was  asked  of  Mr. 
Brickley. 

"Yes,  sir;  the  rooms  were  full  always  and  we  asked 
the  prevailing  prices  for  room  rent,"  was  the  answer. 

"And  how  did  you  come  out,  Mr.  Brickley?"  said 
the  Prosecuting  Attorney. 

"After  running  the  house  three  months,  with  every 
room  full,  we  found  we  could  not  make  one  cent,  when 
we  paid  Deacon  Going  his  rent  and  ordinary  expenses," 
answered  Brickley. 

Then  the  Prosecuting  Attorney  turned  the  witness 
over  to  defendant's  Attorney;  but,  to  his  surprise,  the 
latter  let  Brickley  leave  the  chair  without  questioning 
him  and  called  for  John  Going  to  take  the  witness  chair. 

The  Court  officials  had  allowed  the  Rev.  Nostir  and 
Lucy  Hurryup  to  come  inside  the  railing  and  sit  on  the 
bench  with  Deacon  Going  and,  when  he  was  called, 
they  gave  him  sympathetic  smiles,  as  if  to  say: 

"Now  see  how  the  good  man  will  do  the  other  side 
up!" 

Deacon  Going  took  the  witness  chair  with  an  air 
of  injured  innocence  and  confidence  and  his  attorney 
began  to  question  him: 

"Tell  the  jury,  Deacon  Going,  the  occurrences  that 
led  to  Mr.  Brickley  signing  the  lease." 

Deacon   Going  answered: 

"Well,  Mr.  Brickley  came  to  me  at  my  office  and 
said:  'My  wife  and  I  would  like  to  rent  that  Boarding 
House.'  I  said:  'You  know  what  the  rent  is  and  you 
and  your  wife  will  have  to  sign  the  lease.'  He  got  his 
wife  to  sign  it  before  a  Notary  Public  and  he  brought 
the  lease  to  me  and  signed  it." 

His  attorney  then  asked:  "Were  there  any  prom 
ises,  agreements,  guarantees  or  stipulations  made  to  or 
with  Mr.  Brickley,  outside  the  written  instrument, 
before  he  signed  the  lease?" 


128  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"None  whatever!"  answered  The  Deacon  with  a  con 
fident  and  positive  tone,  and  it  was  reflected  in  the  faces 
of  Rev.  Nostir,  Lucy  Hurryup  and  all  The  Deacon's 
friends  in  The  Court  Room. 

"Take  the  witness,"  said  The  Deacon's  Attorney  to 
the  Prosecuting  Attorney,  who  looked  Deacon  Going 
steadily  in  the  eyes  and  exclaimed  in  a  loud  voice: 

"Now,  Deacon  Going,  you  have  put  your  hand  on 
God's  word — the  Holy  Bible — and  sworn  before  God 
and  man  that  you  will  tell  the  truth,  the  whole  truth 
and  nothing  but  the  truth!  Now  you  know  while  you 
sit  there  that  when  you  said,  'None  whatever,'  it  is  a 
deliberate  lie!" 

The  Deacon  squirmed  in  his  chair  and  his  attorney 
jumped  up  and  said  to  The  Judge,  excitedly,  "Oh,  I 
object,  Your  Honor!" 

The  jury  bent  forward  in  their  seats  with  keen 
interest  and  the  whole  Court  Room  was  disturbed  and 
in  a  state  of  excitement,  especially  the  W.  C.  T.  U. 
crowd,  who  showed  great  indignation  in  their  faces 
and  protests  in  an  undertone. 

"Order  in  Court!"  shouted  the  Bailiff,  and  everything 
was  quiet  again. 

It  is  not  easy,  under  any  circumstances,  to  discon 
cert  a  Real  Estate  Agent,  especially  one  of  Deacon 
Going's  experience.  He  soon  gained  his  self-composure 
and  confident  he  knew  where  he  stood  he  thought  the 
Prosecuting  Attorney  was  trying  to  browbeat  him  into 
some  expression  that  would  be  to  his  disadvantage, 
and  he  concluded  to  stick  to  exactly  what  he  said. 

The  Prosecuting  Attorney  continued: 

"Now,  Deacon  Going,  I  ask  you  again,  in  the  words 
of  your  attorney:  'Were  there  any  promises,  agree 
ments,  guarantees  or  stipulations  made  to  or  with  Mr. 
Brickley,  outside  the  written  instrument,  before  he 
signed  the  lease'?" 

In  a  defiant  and  determined  voice  Deacon  Going 
answered:  "None  whatever  1" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  129 

"Bravo!"  whispered  Lucy  Hurryup  to  Rev.  Nostir, 
to  which  he  replied:  "Praise  The  Lord!" 

When  Deacon  Going  left  the  witness  chair  his  attor 
ney  chuckled  to  himself  and  began  to  formulate  his 
address  to  the  Jury,  for  he  thought  that  his  case  was 
practically  won.  Suddenly  he  saw  the  Prosecuting 
Attorney  whisper  to  one  of  the  Bailiffs,  who  called  out 
in  a  loud  voice: 

"Mr.  Snickuls!    Step  forward!" 

There  was  a  great  stir  in  the  Court  Room  as  Snickuls 
pushed  his  way  through  the  crowd  and  came  up  to 
the  witness  stand  to  be  sworn.  It  was  a  study  to  notice 
the  expressions  on  the  faces  of  Deacon  Going,  his 
attorney,  Rev.  Nostir  and  Lucy  Hurryup.  It  seemed 
as  if  they  were  perfectly  non-plused  and  did  not  know 
what  to  think. 

In  a  few  moments,  however,  their  confident  air 
forsook  them  and  a  troubled  expression  came  over  the 
face  of  The  Deacon.  Snickuls  looked  clean  and  had 
the  appearance  of  an  honest,  respectable  citizen.  That 
was  the  private  opinion  of  the  Judge,  as  he  analyzed 
his  face  and  form  in  the  chair,  and  the  jury  all  knew 
him,  though  unbeknown  to  each  other. 

The  Foreman  of  the  Jury  recollected  that  several 
years  before  a  man  brought  his  son  on  his  back  from 
the  woods,  a  distance  of  several  miles,  the  boy  being 
badly  shot  in  the  leg  by  a  gun.  It  was  Snickuls  who 
brought  him.  Another  juryman  remembered  when  his 
wife  was  seriously  ill  and  he  had  no  one  to  send  after 
a  doctor,  Snickuls  went. 

The  wife  of  one  juryman  could  not  get  her  scat 
tered  chickens  into  the  yard;  Snickuls  got  them  in  for 
her.  The  little  dog  of  one  of  the  juryman's  girls  was 
lost  for  a  week;  Snickuls  found  it  and  brought  it  back 
to  her,  and  there  was  not  one  of  the  twelve  who  did 
not  recollect  some  unpretentious  kindness  that  that  man 
on  the  witness  stand  had  done  him  in  the  last 'few 
vears. 


130  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Snickuls  took  his  seat  in  the  witness  chair  and 
glanced  over  the  Court  Room.  He  caught  the  eye  of 
Tommy  Dust  in  the  crowd,  who  smiled  at  him  with 
that  undemonstrative  smile  that  meant  so  much,  and 
that  Snickuls  so  highly  appreciated. 

The  Prosecuting  Attorney  addressed  himself  to 
Snickuls  and  said: 

"Mr.  Snickuls,  on  April  25th,  last,  about  two  o'clock, 
where  were  you?" 

Snickuls  answered  in  a  quick,  steady,  intelligent 
voice:  "I  was  asleep  and  awoke  in  a  covered  wagon, 
which  was  in  an  open  lot,  and  it  stood  right  near 
Deacon  Going's  office  window." 

The  Deacon's  attorney  gave  The  Deacon  a  surprised 
and  inquiring  look;  Lucy  Hurryup  and  Rev.  Nostir 
exchanged  glances  of  wonder  and  she  bent  over  to 
The  Deacon  and  whispered: 

"Impeach  that  man  as  a  witness  1  He  is  a  common, 
everyday  drunkard,  and  has  been  for  years!"  Attorney 
Appeal  drew  close  to  them  and  heard  what  they  said, 
and  addressed  The  Court: 

"Your  Honor,  before  going  any  further,  we  wish  to 
protest  against  accepting  this  man  as  a  witness,  for  he 
is  a  common  drunkard  and  has  been  for  years.  There 
is  not  a  day  in  the  year  that  he  is  not  drunk  and  his 
testimony  on  any  subject  is  not  worthy  of  consider 
ation!" 

The  jurymen  began  to  frown  and  squirm  for  some 
unknown  reason  and  The  Judge  said: 

"He  looks  like  an  intelligent  citizen,  but  I  will  listen 
to  argument  on  both  sides.  Make  your  reasons,  Mr. 
Appeal,  more  particular  for  throwing  out  his  testi 
mony  !" 

The  Deacon's  attorney  went  on: 

"Well,  Your  Honor,  you  know  the  excessive  use  of 
alcohol  dulls  the  intellect,  destroys  the  memory,  makes 
imbeciles,  disturbs  the  mind  and  senses  and  ruins  the 
mental  and  physical  constitution. 


COLONEL   BERRY'S   CHALLENGE  131 

"Now  when  a  man  like  this  is  placed  on  the  witness 
stand  to  tell  something  that  happened  in  the  past,  if 
he  is  in  his  normal  condition,  which  is  either  in  a 
state  of  stupor  or  of  disturbed  imagination,  how  can  he 
recollect  anything  that  transpired  at  a  given  time  cor 
rectly?  And  if  he  is  in  an  abnormal  condition,  from  a 
superabundance  of  drink,  certainly  his  mind  is  so 
incapacitated  that  it  could  not  recollect  things  correctly. 

"This  man,  being  a  habitual  excessive  drunkard 
daily,  and  we  may  say  hourly,  Your  Honor,  we  pro 
test  against  accepting  any  of  his  statements  as  evi 
dence!" 

The  Prosecuting  Attorney  replied: 

"Your  Honor,  this  man  Snickuls,  though  he  drinks 
a  good  deal,  is  noted  as  one  of  the  greatest  wits  in  this 
region.  It  is  a  fact  that  Your  Honor  and  any  well  edu 
cated  and  posted  man  knows,  that  very  many  of  the 
greatest  men  who  ever  lived  were  a  good  deal  of  the 
time  under  the  influence  of  liquor. 

"How  many  great  battles  have  been  won  by  hard 
drinkers;  how  many  great  orations  have  been  delivered; 
how  many  great  novels  and  poems  composed,  and  how 
many  business  plans  made  and  carried  out? 

"I  deny,  Your  Honor,  that  any  exact  rule  or  broad 
statement  can  be  laid  down  that  liquor  acts  the  same 
on  all  men.  Some  it  makes  dull  and  some  exceedingly 
bright.  I  know  a  statesman,  whose  brilliancy  and  rep 
utation  as  an  orator  is  nation-wide,  who  never  attempts 
any  great  speech  without  taking  a  drink,  and  he  takes 
a  good  one!"  Then  The  Judge  and  Jury  smiled  and 
the  W.  C.  T.  U.  people  frowned.  "This  man  in  the 
witness  chair  has  lived  in  this  community  for  years; 
he  has  never  done  a  wrong  act;  never  been  in  a  con 
dition  that  he  could  not  take  care  of  himself;  never 
been  a  charge  to  the  community  and  is  noted  for  his 
wit  and  bright  sayings  all  over  the  county. 


132 

"What  constitutes  good  citizenship,  what  constitutes 
rectitude,  and  what  constitutes  reliability,  if  this  man 
has  it  not? 

"If  you  throw  out  the  testimony  of  this  man,  Your 
Honor,  you  would  have  to  throw  out  the  testimony — if 
on  that  stand  today — of  thousands  of  the  greatest  men 
that  ever  lived!" 

The  Prosecuting  Attorney  finished  and  in  intense 
silence  the  eyes  of  the  whole  room  were  fixed  on  The 
Judge. 

"The  witness  is  accepted!"  said  The  Judge  emphat 
ically. 

The  Prosecuting  Attorney  questioned  Snickuls  again: 

"You  say  you  were  asleep  in  the  wagon,  near  Deacon 
Going's  office  window.  What  waked  you  up?  Just 
give  us  a  statement  of  what  happened." 

Snickuls  told  The  Court  and  Jury  just  what  he 
saw  and  heard  while  in  the  wagon. 

"Now,  Mr.  Snickuls,  listen  carefully:  Did  you  hear 
Mr.  Brickley  say  to  Deacon  Going:  'Have  you  no  honor 
.about  you?  Did  you  not  guarantee,  positively,  before 
I  would  sign  the  lease,  that  we  would  clear  over  $100 
per  month  above  all  expenses?'" 

"Yes,  sir;  that  is  what  I  heard  him  ask,"  answered 
Snickuls. 

The  Prosecuting  Attorney  went  on:  "What  did 
Deacon  Going  reply,  Mr.  Snickuls?" 
.  "He  said,"  continued  Snickuls:  'Yes,  I  did  guaran 
tee  it,  but  you  and  I  were  alone,  and  there  were  no 
witnesses;  so  you  see  that  does  not  count,  as  my  word 
is  just  as  good  as  yours!'" 

A  pallor  was  creeping  over  the  face  of  Deacon  Going 
and  there  was  consternation  in  the  ranks  of  his  friends. 

The  Prosecuting.  Attorney  continued: 

"Why  are  you  so  positive  that  Deacon  Going  made 
the  guarantee  in  those  words?" 

"Well,"  answered  Snickuls,  "I  thought  it  was  so 
cruel  in  Deacon  Going,  to  do  that  way,  that  I  wrote 


COLONEL  BERRY'S;  CHALLENGE  133 

it  down  in  this  book  before  I  left  the  wagon."  The 
book  was  a  small  memorandum  book,  written  in  with 
a  pencil.  It  was  handed  to  The  Judge  and  Jury, 
to  examine  and  they  saw  that  it  contained  the  exact 
words  of  Deacon  Going. 

The  Jury  brought  in  a  verdict  against  Deacon  Going 
of  "Guilty,"   and  the   culmination   of  the  suit  was  he 
was  given  a  suspended  sentence  of  one  month  in  jail, 
and  had  to  pay  Mr.  Brickley  $100  profit  per  month  for 
the  term  of  the  lease. 


CHAPTER  XX.  ; 

"Father,"  said  Alvin  Berry,  coming  into  Colonel 
Berry's  Library,  at  home,  where  the  latter  sat  reading, 
"I  have  sad  news.  Gabrielle  Putney,  the  sister  of  my 
college  roommate,  writes  me  that  Ralph  is  dying  of 
Typhoid  Fever  and  wants  to  see  me!" 

"That  is  too  bad,"  answered  The  Colonel,  looking 
up  from  his  papers  very  seriously.  "You  had  better- 
go  right  away.  If  you  are  a  man's  friend  you  will  go 
to  him  in  time  of  trouble,  and  he  will  come  to  you 
when  you  are  in  trouble,  if  he  is  your  friend." 

"You    know,    Father,    the    Berry    Zouaves    have    an- 
invitation    and    engagement    to    go    to    the    Interstate 
Encampment  next  week.    Who  is  going  to  be  Captain,  if 
I  go  to  Ralph?" 

"Never  mind  The  Encampment,  Son;  go  and  look 
after  your  friend  and  I  will  get  someone.  I  know  a 
Captain  Maynard,  of  The  National  Guard,  who  will  go 
with  them,  if  I  ask  him." 

"All  right,  Father,"  said  Alvin,  who  kissed  his 
father's  brow  and  left  the  room. 

When  Colonel  Berry  got  down-town  he  drove  up' 
in  front  of  the  Hinsdale  Hotel  and  sent  a  boy  in  for 
Tommy  Dust,  who  came  hurrying  out. 

"Tommy,"  said  The  Colonel,  "how  soon  can  you  find* 
Snickuls  for  me?" 


134  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"In  about  half  hour,  I  think,"  answered  Tommy. 
"Well,  do  so,  please,  Tommy,  and  tell  him  I  would  like 
to  see  him  as  soon  as  possible,"  added  The  Colonel, 
giving  him  a  quarter,  and  he  drove  away  to  his  office 
in  the  big  distillery. 

It  was  not  long  before  there  came  a  knock  at  his 
door  and  Snickuls  was  admitted.  The  Colonel  grasped 
his  hand  heartily  and  held  it  and  then  made  him  sit 
down  near  him  at  his  desk.  They  talked  together  for 
some  time  and  Snickuls  left. 

In  about  two  hours  an  officer  of  the  rank  of  Captain 
presented  himself  at  the  outside  office  railing  and 
handed  in  his  card  for  Colonel  Berry.  The  most  notice 
able  part  of  the  officer  was  his  heavy  moustache.  His 
card  was  taken  in  to  The  Colonel,  who  read: 

Captain  Walter  Maynard, 
Yorksylvania  National  Guard. 

In  a  short  while  Colonel  Berry  went  out  with 
Captain  Maynard  and  took  him  to  The  Armory,  where 
he  was  introduced  to  the  \principle  members  of  The 
Berry  Zouaves.  The  Colonel  told  the  soldiers  how 
Captain  Berry  had  to  go  to  his  dying  friend  and  that 
Captain  Maynard  would  command  them  at  The  Encamp 
ment. 

That  afternoon  there  was  a  drill  on  The  Common 
and  it  drew-  a  large  crowd  of  citizens,  as  usual.  One 
young  lady,  of  a  party  of  young  men  and  young  ladies, 
exclaimed  as  the  soldiers  marched  here  and  there: 

"Look  at  the  new  Captain!  Is  he  not  fine?  I  won 
der  who  he  is  and  where  he  came  from?" 

"They  say  his  name  is  Captain  Maynard,"  answered 
a  young  man. 

"He  is  surely  fine,  but  not  quite  the  equal  of  Captain 
Berry,"  said  another  girl. 

"How  much  he  looks  like  somebody  I  know!" 
exclaimed  another  girl.  "And  like  I  know!"  answered 
two  or  three;  but  none  could :tell  whom  the  new  Captain 
looked  like. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  135 

Captain  Maynard  went  to  The  Encampment  with 
The  Berry  Zouaves  and  when  he  came  back  there  was 
great  praise  of  him  by  the  men.  They  said  he  was  a 
strict  disciplinarian,  but  they  all  liked  him.  It  was 
strange  how  quickly  he  disappeared  when  he  got  back. 

Alvin  Berry  staid  two  weeks  at  his  friend's  bedside, 
who,  after  everyone  had  given  him  up,  had  a  turn  for 
the  better  and  steadily  improved.  When  Alvin  left  he 
was  able  to  be  up.  Gabrielle,  his  sister,  said  that  Alvin's 
cheering  words  were  what  saved  his  life. 

"Paper?"  cried  a  weak  voice  standing  against  the 
wall  of  the  building,  "Paper,  Miss?" 

Henrietta  Ashcraft,  who  was  passing  along  Main 
Street,  saw  a  little  hunchbacked  crippls  on  crutches, 
holding  out  a  paper  to  her.  He  looked  so  pale  and 
weak  that  she  stopped  and  spoke  to  him: 

"You  poor  little  fellow!"  she  exclaimed,  "here  is  a 
dime!  Keep  your  paper!  Do  you  sell  many?" 

The  cripple  answered:  "No  ma'am.  I  could  sell 
lots  of  'em,  but  ther  other  boys  run  faster  than  me 
and  get  there  first." 

"Poor  fellow,"  said  Henrietta,  "what  is  your  name 
and  where  do  you  live?"  "Me  name's  Crutches;  that's 
what  ther  boys  calls  me.  That's  all  ther  name  I  got. 
Colonel  Berry  let  me  sleep  over  Berry  Saloon  No.  23." 

"Who  is   that   other  boy   with  you,   Crutches?" 

"That's  me  pardner,"  answered  Crutches,  "and  when 
he  makes  something  we  divides,"  said  the  cripple,  as 
he  handed  the  other  boy  five  cents. 

"Well,  I  will  give  him  ten  cents,  also,  and  then  he 
can  divide  with  you,"  said  Henrietta,  giving  the  other 
boy  a  dime,  and  she  went  on  down  the  street,  leaving 
the  little  fellows  smiling  and  looking  gratefully  after 
her. 

Since  so  prominent  a  member  of  The  Prohibition 
Party  as  Deacon  Going  had  been  so  publicly  disgraced 


136  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

by  the  suit  against  him  for  obtaining  money  under 
False  Pretenses,  that  party  had  not  been  quite  so  aggres 
sive;  but  they  were  numerous  persons,  especially  among 
the  women,  who  declared  secretly,  if  not  openly,  that, 
"Judge  Sims  had  no  business  to  take  the  testimony  of 
a  low-down  drunkard  as  evidence  against  so  good  a 
man  as  Deacon  Going!" 

Lucy  Hurryup  said  The  Deacon  was  a  persecuted 
Saint  and  Rev.  Nostir  put  his  hands  together  piously 
and  exclaimed:  "The  Lord  allows  the  wiles  of  The 
Devil  to  overcome  His  children  for  awhile,  but  He  at 
last  leads  His  sheep  into  pastures  green!" 

Deacon  Going  went  to  prayer  meeting,  church  and 
W.  C.  T.  U.  meetings  as  he  always  did,  but,  though  his 
A — a — mens  were  not  quite  so  loud  as  they  had  been 
for  awhile,  they  were  there  all  the  same. 

Mayor  Homer,  as  one  of  the  prominent  members  of 
The  Prohibition  Party,  had  not  let  up  in  his  efforts  to 
harrass  the  liquor  dealers.  He  told  the  policemen  to 
keep  on  the  alert  for  breakers  of  the  law  and  set 
private  detectives  to  work  also. 

"Alvin,"  said  Colonel  Berry,  stepping  into  his  son's 
office,  "I  do  not  know  what  to  think  of  that  barkeeper, 
Briggs,  at  Saloon  23,  for  his  reports  and  accounts  are 
always  so  tangled  that  I  cannot  make  heads  or  tails  out 
of  them.  I  do  not  like  to  discharge  him,  for  I  think 
he  is  honest,  but  he  just  does  not  seem  to  have  common 
sense." 

"All  right,  Father,  I  will  go  down  there  tonight  and 
see  if  I  can  straighten  him  out,"  answered  Alvin. 

One  night,  about  half-past  eleven  o'clock,  Henrietta 
Ashcraft  was  in  her  father's  carriage,  coming  from  a 
musical  entertainment  held  at  the  residence  of  a  friend 
just  beyond  the  city  limits. 

The  coachman  was  driving  fast  and  almost  ran  over 
a  boy,  sitting  in  the  road  crying  and  mourning. 


137 

'"Stop!"  said  Henrietta,  "and  let  me  see  what  is  the 
matter  with  that  boy!"  The  coachman  drove  back  to 
the  side  of  the  boy  who  sat  in  the  road  and  Henrietta 
asked : 

"What  is  the  matter,  little  boy?"  "I'm  sick,  an'  me 
pardner,  Crutches,  is  dyin'.  He's  most  gone!"  said 
the  boy.  "Crutches!  Crutches!  That  is  the  little  crip 
pled  newspaper  boy,  is  it  not?"  exclaimed  Henrietta. 
The  boy  answered  with  difficulty,  putting  both  hands 
on  his  stomach: 

"Yes,  ma'am.  Oh,  I  feel  so  sick,  an'  Crutches  is 
dyin'!"  "Where  did  you  say  Crutches  is?"  asked  Hen 
rietta. 

"Up  a  stairs  on  side  of  ther  Saloon  23,  over  there, 
all  by  himself,  dyin',  in  a  room,"  answered  the  boy. 

"Tie  the  horses,  John,  to  that  tree  and  put  the  boy 
in  the  carriage  and  then  come  with  me!"  commanded 
Henrietta. 

John  tied  the  horses,  put  the  boy  in  the  bottom  of 
the  carriage  and  he  and  Henrietta  started  for  the 
saloon,  she  telling  the  boy: 

"I  will  send  this  man  back  in  a  few  minutes  to 
take  you  to  The  Doctor,  as  soon  as  I  see  how  Crutches 
is.  Keep  right  still  now,  until  he  comes  back!" 

Henrietta  and  John  reached  the  saloon  on  top  of 
the  hill  and  saw  the  stairs  on  the  outside  of  the  house. 
They  went  up  and  entered  a  large  room  at  the  top  of  the 
stairs.  In  it  were  three  chairs,  a  table,  a  tin  basin  and 
a  good  bed.  The  floor  was  bare. 

On  the  bed  lay  the  cripple  with  his  street  clothes 
on.  Henrietta  put  her  hand  on  his  head  and  whispered 
to  John:  "He  is  just  alive  and  that  is  all.  Go  back 
to  the  carriage  now.  Drive  to  Dr.  Biddle's  as  fast  as 
you  can;  tell  him  to  take  care  of  that  other  boy  and 
to'  come  here  as  quickly  as  possible,  or  this  boy  will 
be  dead!" 

John  hurried  out,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  cripple 
breathed  his  last,  with  Henrietta  bending  over  him/ 


138  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

She  was  pretty  sure  that  Crutches  was  dead;  so  she 
took  a  chair  at  the  other  end  of  the  room  and  waited. 
As  she  sat  there  she  saw  that  there  was  a  large  crack 
in  the  floor  near  and  she  could  hear  men's  voices  below. 

Getting  down  on  her  knees  and  putting  her  face  close 
to  the  floor  she  saw  two  men  with  a  book,  laid  out  on 
the  bar  counter  between  them,  figuring.  "Why,"  she 
said  to  herself,  "that  is  Alvin  Berry  and  I  guess  the 
other  man  is  the  barkeeper."  She  heard  Alvin  say: 

"The  trouble  with  you,  Briggs,  is  that  you  do  not 

put  your  figures  down  in  a  line,  one  under  the  other; 

they  are  all  zig  zag  and  of  course  they  will  not  add 
up  straight. 

"Well,  please  excuse  me,  Gap'n  Berry;  I'll  try  to 
improve.  I  had  very  little  schoolin',"  replied  Briggs. 

"That  is  all  right,  now,  Briggs,"  said  Alvin,  "and 
I  will  run  over  your  other  account." 

The  barkeeper  asked:  "Can  I  go  now,  Cap'n?  It's 
ten  minutes  to  twelve  o'clock  an'  most  closin'  time. 
My  wife  is  quite  sick  and  I  ought  to  be  at  home." 

Henrietta  looked  at  her  watch  and  it  was  ten  min 
utes  to  twelve  and  Alvin  pulled  out  his  watch  and 
remarked:  "I  have  the  same  time  as  you,  Briggs.  Close 
the  front  door  and  lock  it  and  put  down  the  blinds,  and 
I  will  figure  out  this  account  for  awhile  yet.  Go  to 
Berry  Saloon  No.  1  in  the  morning  and  get  your  key 
from  Jake,  where  I  will  leave  it  on  my  way  home. 
Briggs  locked  up,  handed  Alvin  the  front  door  key  and 
went  out  the  back  door  that  opened  into  a  hall  that 
was  just  off  the  street. 

Henrietta  got  up  from  her  knees,  walked  over  and 
looked  at  the  cripple  and  thought: 

"He  certainly  is  dead.  Ought  I  to  stay  here  in  this 
room  by  myself?  Some  vicious  and  disreputable  per 
son  might  walk  in  on  me.  I  guess  I  will  close  and 
lock  that  door,  until  John  comes." 


139 

She  closed  the  old  door  and  turned  the  key  with 
difficulty  in  a  very  rusty  lock.  Then  she  went  back 
to  the  chair,  near  the  crack  in  the  floor,  and  sat  down 
and  pulled  out  her  watch  and  it  was  seven  minutes  to 
twelve.  A  creepy  feeling  came  over  her  as  she  thought 
of  being  in  a  room  of  that  kind  with  a  dead  body. 

But  she  was  not  frightened,  so  long  as  Alvin  was 
there  below,  and  she  got  down  on  her  knees  and  looked 
through  the  crack  at  him. 

Alvin  put  the  front  door  key  into  his  pants  pocket, 
the  written  account  into  his  inside  coat  pocket  and 
acted  as  if  he  was  very  tired.  He  was  on  the  inside 
of  the  bar,  took  a  glass,  put  it  on  the  counter,  poured 
it  full  of  Sherry  Wine,  drank  it  and  put  the  glass  down. 

All  of  a  sudden  she  saw  a  man  enter  the  back  door 
in  a  very  determined  manner,  step  up  to  the  bar  in 
front  of  Alvin  and  exclaim: 

"Alvin  Berry,  you  are  under  arrest  for  breaking 
The  Midnight  Closing  Law!"  Henrietta  exclaimed  to 
herself:  "Why,  that  is  Albert!"  and  the  scene  below 
made  her  heart  beat  fast. 

"Under  arrest,  Hell!  What  do  you  mean,  Luxy?" 
asked  Alvin,  looking  him  steadily  in  the  eye  from 
behind  the  counter. 

"I  mean  that  it  is  ten  minutes  after  twelve  o'clock 
and  you  are  selling  liquor,  after  midnight,  against  the 
law.  I  saw  a  man  just  go  out  of  here,  and  there  are 
your  glasses  on  the  counter!"  exclaimed  Luxy,  throw 
ing  open  his  coat  and  showing  his  shield.  "I  am  an 
officer  of  the!  law  and  I  arrest  you  and  command  you 
to  come  from  behind  that  counter  and  go  with  me!" 

Alvin  looked  at  him  coolly  and  said,  pulling  out  his 
watch  and  showing  it: 

"In  the  first  place  it  is  not  twelve  o'clock;  it  is  five 
minutes  to  twelve."  Henrietta  looked  at  her  watch  and 
it  was  five  minutes  to  twelve. 

"In  the  second  place,  Luxy,  that  was  Briggs,  the 
barkeeper,  who  has  just  locked  up  and  gone  home. 


140  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"In  the  third  place,  the  bottle  and  glass  on  the 
counter  there  were  used  by  myself,  for  I  am  very  tired. 

"In  the  fourth  place,  you  have  no  right  to  invade 
these  premises,  when  closed  up,  after  or  before  twelve 
o'clock,  without  a  warrant!" 

Luxy  straightened  himself  up  to  his  full  height, 
tapped  his  shield  with  his  left  hand,  held  up  his  finger 
and  said  in  a  loud  voice: 

"Did  you  hear  what  I  said!  Alvin  Berry?  You  are 
under  arrest!  Gome  out  of  there!" 

Henrietta  rushed  to  the  door  to  try  to  get  out,  so 
she  could  go  down  there  and  save  Alvin  from  arrest; 
but  she  could  not  open  the  old  door,  and  she  rushed 
back  and  looked  and  listened  at  the  crack. 

"Luxy,"  said  Alvin,  "you  have  been  a  bully  ever 
since  you  were  a  little  boy,  and  you  are  trying  to  be 
a  bully  now;  but  I  am  not  afraid  of  your  shield.  You 
have  no  authority,  shield  or  no  shield,  on  these  prem 
ises  and,  as  owner,  I  order  you  to  take  yourself  off!" 

Luxy  drew  a  revolver,  went  behind  the  bar,  caught 
Alvin  by  the  wrist,  pointed  at  his  breast  and  exclaimed, 
as  he  pulled  him  out  into  the  room: 

"Now  I  guess  you  will  go  with  me!" 

Henrietta  shuddered. 

Alvin  had  trained  as  an  athlete  for  years.  He  was 
not  quite  as  heavily  built  as  Luxy,  but  was  confident, 
with  equal  advantages,  he  could  conquer  him  in  a 
tussle.  But  Luxy  had  a  revolver  and  Alvin  let  him 
pull  him  out  from  behind  the  counter  and  watched 
his  chance. 

Acquainted  with  all .  the  tender  parts  of  the  body, 
from  his  athletic  sports  at  college,  as  quick  as  a  flash 
with  his  fist  Alvin  struck  Luxy  a  powerful  blow  on 
the  muscle  of  the  arm,  that  held  the  revolver,  just 
below  the  shoulder,  which-  paralyzed  the  arm  momen 
tarily  and  the  weapon  fell  from  Luxy's  grasp  to  the 
floor.  : .  .  •  • 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  141 

Then  the  two  men  grappled  and  swayed  backward 
and  forward,  each  seeking  to  get  the  advantage  of  the 
other  and  to  get  the  revolver. 

Thoughts  of  what  a  great  prize— Henrietta  and  her 
father's  large  fortune,  depending  on  that  struggle  to 
disgrace  Alvin  Berry— passed  through  Luxy's  mind,  and 
Alvin  was  thinking  of  the  insults  Luxy,  mostly  secretly, 
had  given  him.  He  cherished  particularly  that  article 
which  related  to  bringing  Ella  Rowe  to  Batesville  in 
the  night,  inspired  by  Luxy. 

Little  did  either  of  the  men  realize  that  the  object 
of  his  affection  was  looking  with  beautiful  and  ter 
rified  eyes  down  upon  them  and  watching  their  every 
motion. 

All  of  a  sudden  Alvin  tripped  and  threw  Luxy;  but 
the  latter  jumped  up  and  seized  him  before  he  could 
reach  the  revolver. 

With  joy  Henrietta  saw  Alvin  throw  Luxy  three 
times,  but  Luxy  was  tough. 

Alvin  was  losing  strength  and  he  knew  he  must 
do  something  decisive  soon.  The  long  siege  of  nursing 
his  roommate,  who  had  Typhoid  Fever,  had  sapped  his 
vitality,  which  he  had  not  fully  recovered,  and  besides 
he  had  been  on  his  feet  drilling  The  Berry  Zouaves 
all  the  afternoon  and  it  had  made  him  very  tired.  On 
the  other  hand,  Luxy,  who  did  his  work  at  night,  had 
slept  all  day,  was  not  long  out  of  bed  and  was  fresh. 

Summoning  all  his  strength  Alvin  threw  Luxy  the 
fourth  time  near  where  the  revolver  lay.  The  latter 
showed  the  effects  of  the  fall,  but  he  rolled  over,  Alvin 
on  top  of  him,  and  grasped  the  revolver  in  his  rieht 
hand. 

Henrietta  saw  Luxy  on  his  back  with  Alvin  on  top 
of  him.  Alvin  seized  Luxy's  right  wrist,  of  the  hand 
that  held  the  revolver,  with  his  left  hand  and  tried  to 
hold  Luxy's  hand  down,  while  Alvin's  right  hand 
grasped  Luxy's  left  wrist. 


142 

The  heads  of  the  two  men  were  pretty  close 
together,  but  Henrietta,  being  above  them,  could  see 
every  motion. 

Both  men  struggling  with  all  their  strength,  Luxy 
trying  to  shoot  and  Alvin  trying  to  keep  from  being 
shot,  at  last  Luxy  thought  he  had  dead  aim  at  Alvin's 
chest  and  pulled  the  trigger  of  the  revolver,  but  Alvin's 
motion  changed  his  aim,  the  revolver  went  off,  shot 
Luxy  in  the  eye  and  he  collapsed,  holding  the  revolver 
until  Alvin  arose  to  his  feet  and  then  it  dropped  from 
Luxy's  hand  to  the  floor. 

.  Henrietta,  horror  stricken  at  the  sight  of  the  blood 
pouring  out  of  Luxy's  eye,  arose  from  the  crack  and 
rushed  to  the  door  and  shook  it;  but  it  would  not  come 
open  and  she  went  back  to  the  crack  and  looked  again. 

A  policeman  on  his  regular  beat  heard  the  shot 
and  came  into  the  saloon  at  the  back  door.  He  saw 
the  situation  with  horror  in  his  face,  and  said: 

"Captain  Berry,  what  does  this  mean?"  and  he 
stooped  over  Albert  Luxy  and  listened  for  his  heart. 
"He  is  dead!  Captain,  you  will  have  to  come  with  me 
to  police  headquarters.  You  seem  to  be  the  only  one 
here.  I  don't  care  to  hear  anything  about  it.  You  can 
tell  it  to  The  Judge,  tomorrow,  Captain.  We  will  leave 
everything  as  it  is  for  The  Coroner!" 

Alvin  said  nothing,  went  and  got  his  hat,  took  a 
look  at  the  dead  man  and  went  out  with  the  policeman. 

Henrietta  ran  to  the  door  again  and  shook  it  hard, 
but  it  would  not  come  open.  She  screamed: 

"Help!  Help!"  Nobody  seemed  to  hear  her.  Clasp 
ing  her  hands  and  with  terrified  look  she  thought: 

"Where  is  John,  and  why  does  he  not  come?  Is  it 
not  horrible,  to  be  here  alone!  with  a  dead  body  in 
this  room,  a  dead  body  below  and  Alvin  arrested  and 
carried  off  and  I  cannot  help  him!" 

Her  head  began  to  reel.  She  looked  around  the 
room  and  saw  a  loose  brick  in  the  fireplace,  which  she 
with  difficulty  worked  out.  Seizing  it  by  one  end  she 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  143 

smashed  and   smashed  the   old  lock   until   it   came   off 
and  the  door  came  open. 

Wildly  Henrietta  dashed  down  the  steps  and  ran 
as  fast  as  she  could,  anywhere  to  get  rid  of  that  hor 
rible  place.  The  night  got  darker.  She  thought  she 
was  going  towards  home,  but  she  was  going  in  the 
opposite  direction,  out  into  the  country. 

Ill  in  mind,  heart  and  body  Henrietta  stumbled  on 
over  roads,  stones,  ruts,  bushes,  hills  and  hollows, 
through  the  darkness.  At  last  she  fell  from  exhaustion, 
delirious. 

Let  us  go  back  now  and  see  why  John,  with  the 
carriage,  did  not  come  back  to  Henrietta. 

With  the  crying  newsboy  in  the  bottom  of  the  car 
riage  John  drove  rapidly  off  to  find  Dr.  Biddle.  As  he 
was  passing  the  short  turn  of  a  corner  two  cats,  fight 
ing,  fell  off  a  board  fence  right  under  the  feet  of  the 
horses,  which  frightened  them  so  that  they  ran  away. 
John  was  a  good  driver,  but  he  could  not  hold  the 
terrified  horses  as  they  dashed  onward  at  a  furious 
speed.  A  policeman  saw  them  go  by  and  ran  after  them. 

The  horses  turned  another  corner,  the  wheel  struck 
an  iron  lamp  post,  the  carriage  was  wrecked  and  its 
occupants  thrown  against  a  stone  wall.  W7hen  the  offi 
cer  reached  the  wreck  he  found  the  boy  dead  and  John 
unconscious  and  dying.  John  died  in  a  few  minutes, 
but  he  came  to  enough  only  to  say  to  the  officer,  who 
hell  his  head  from  the  ground: 

"Miss  Hen— ri— etta!" 

There  was  consternation  in  Major  Ashcraft's  family 
as  n^H^ight  passed  and  Henrietta  did  not  come  home, 
especially  as  John  had  been  stopped  not  long  before 
and  imprisoned  until  morning,  at  the  time  that  Major 
Ashcraft  had  been  assaulted  by  the  strikers. 

The  Major  went  to  The  Mayor's  house  and  asked  him 
to  furnish  him  with  police  protection  to  go  and  look 
for  Henrietta.  Mayor  Homer  furnished  him  with  six 
armed  mounted  police  and  they  started  out. 


144  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Tommy  Dust  was  up  late  that  night  at  The  Hinsdale 
Hotel.  It  was  half-past  twelve,  the  night  clerk  was  at 
the  desk  and  he  thought  he  would  retire,  when  Rolf, 
the  regular  policeman  on  that  beat,  stepped  in  and 
went  to  the  desk,  saying:  "There's  been  a  dreadful 
smash-up  over  in  the  West  End  of  town!  The  horses 
of  Major  Ashcraft  ran  away,  smashed  the  carriage,  killed 
the  driver  and  a  boy  with  him  and  Major  Ashcraft's 
daughter  is  supposed  to  have  been  thrown  out  some 
where;  but  they  cannot  find  her  and  don't  know 
whether  she's  dead  or  'alive!" 

"Is  that  beautiful  Miss  Ashcraft  killed?"  asked 
Tommy,  with  wild  eyes.  The  officer  answered: 

"Nobody  knows.  They  think  she  was  in  the  car 
riage,  with  the  ones  that  were  killed,  and  thrown  out 
somewhere." 

Tommy  felt  so  bad  at  the  policeman's  words  that 
he  went  out  into  the  fresh  air  of  the  street  and  in  a 
few  minutes  he  was  at  The  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club, 
where  he  found  Snickuls  lying  on  his  back  snoring. 
He  shook  Snickuls  and  said: 

"Snickuls!  Snickuls!  Wake  up!  I've  got  something 
important  to  tell  you!" 

Snickuls  sat  up  quickly,  looked  dazed,  at  first,  and 
replied:  "I'm  awake,  Tommy,  and  listening." 

Tommy  put  his  hand  on  his  shoulder,  leaned  for 
ward  and  earnestly  said: 

"Snickuls,  Major  Ashcraft's  carriage  has  just  run 
away,  killed  the  driver  and  a  boy  and  thrown  Miss 
Ashcraft  out  somewhere,  but  nobody  could  find  her  I" 

Snickuls  looked  at  Tommy  seriously,  jumped  to  his 
feet,  seized  his  hat,  and  exclaimed: 

"Come,  Tommy,  you  go  to  bed  and  Snickuls  will 
find  her."  Tommy  went  back  into  the  hotel  and  Snick 
uls  dived  into  the  intense  darkness  of  the  night. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Major  Ashcraft  with  six  mounted  policemen  and  a 
lot  of  friends  had  scoured  the  neighborhood  of  where 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  145 

the  carriage  had  been  wrecked  and  looked  into  every 
street,  lane,  open  yard  and  every  place  where  they 
thought  the  wounded  or  dead  body  of  his  beautiful 
daughter  might  be;  but  he  could  find  nothing  and  with 
headache  and  heartache  he  sat  on  horseback,  amid  the 
party,  at  the  West  End  of  the  town,  wondering  what 
to  do. 

About  half  a  mile  from  there,  on  a  country  road, 
as  the  dawn  began  to  creep  into  the  sky,  the  figure  of 
a  man  could  be  dimly  seen  slowly  moving  along.  Every 
few  moments  he  would  stoop  close  to  the  ground  and 
look  and  feel  with  his  fingers. 

As  the  day  approached  the  man  moved  a  little  faster 
and,  when  it  got  light,  he  straightened  up  and  said 
to  himself: 

"It  is  a  woman's  footprint,  sure!" 

The  form  was  Snickuls  and  he  had  been  half  the 
night  looking  for  Henrietta  Ashcraft.  The  footprints 
followed  the  main  road  for  about  a  mile  and  then  went 
on  to  a  side  road,  which  was  covered  pretty  much  by 
grass,  and  then  the  footprints  were  lost. 

He  followed  this  side  road  for  a  long  distance,  when 
he  saw  something  white  on  the  ground  ahead  of  him. 
It  was  a  small  handkerchief,  and  Snickuls  examined  it 
carefully  and  saw  two  letters  embroidered  in  the  cor 
ner.  They  were:  H.  A.  He  put  the  handkerchief  into 
his  pocket  and  pushed  on.  There  was  no  more  road, 
only  hills  and  hollows,  bushes  and  woods.  He  examined 
the  hollows,  where  it  was  damp,  and  found  impressions 
on  the  dirt,  which  proved  to  be  a  woman's  footprint. 

On  he  went  in  the  direction  the  footprints  pointed, 
but  he  lost  them  again.  There  was  a  deep  woods  in 
front  of  him  and  the  underbrush  grew  thicker  and 
denser  every  step.  He  pushed  some  high  bushes  aside 
and — what  was  that  over  there  on  the  ground.  Only 
part  of  it  could  be  seen.  Forcing  his  way  ahead  he 
came  close  to  it  and  saw  a  woman's  form,  lying  face 
downward.  It  was  Henrietta  Ashcraft! 


146 

Snickuls  tenderly  lifted  her  face  from  the  ground 
and  placed  her  in  a  sitting  position.  She  was  alive,  but 
how  very  hot  she  seemed!  Her  head  fell  back  against 
him  and  she  murmured  and  moaned  and  moaned  and 
murmured. 

Snickuls  found  a  tree  near  by,  cleared  all  the  brush 
from  under  it,  made  a  soft  place,  took  off  his  coat  and 
made  a  pillow  and  carried  Henrietta  over  to  it  and 
laid  her  gently  on  the  rude  bed. 

He  listened  and  thought  he  heard  running  water, 
and  he  did,  for  a  brook  was  near.  Going  to  it  Snickuls 
took  out  an  old  tin  cup  he  always  carried,  washed  it 
out,  filled  it  with  water  and  brought  it  to  where  Hen 
rietta  lay;  but  she  was  unconscious  and  could  not  drink. 

Wetting  her  lips  he  poured  the  water  on  her  hand 
kerchief  and  laid  it  on  her  forehead.  "Would  to  God 
I  had  somebody  to  help  me!"  said  Snickuls  to  hi  nself. 
"It  is  miles  to  Batesville  and  she  is  dreadful  ill!  I'll 
see  if  I  can  see  a  house,  somewhere,  on  the  other  side 
of  those  woods." 

He  left  Henrietta  lying  there,  crossed  the  brook, 
and  pushed  through  the  woods,  soon  coming  to  an  open 
ing  beyond  the  trees. 

"Yes,"  he  said  to  himself,  "there  is  a  zig  zag  rail 
fence  and  I  see  a  kind  of  shanty,  way  off  yonder  in 
the  clearing." 

When  he  came  up  to  the  fence  he  saw  an  ol  1  wo  an 
hoeing  some  sickly-looking  corn.  He  jumped  the  fence 
and  was  soon  by  her  side.  She  looked  up,  eyeJ  him 
suspiciously,  and  said: 

"What   er   yer  bein   doin'   here,   anyway?" 

"There  is  a  very  ill  young  lady  lying  over  thc>re  in 
those  woods  on  the  ground,  and  I  would  like  to  see 
if  I  can  get  some  help  and  a  wagon  to  tak  her  to 
Batesville,"  answered  Snickuls. 

"There's  no  help  here,  'cept  me.  Dad  an'  To  ont 
off  early  this  mornin'  an'  won't  be  back  tel  to-  norry. 
I  ain't  owned  a  wagon  fur  many  a  year.  Thai's  ;>  ole 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  147 

cart  over  thar,  but  it's  mighty  rickety,  an'  I  wouldn't 
let  yer  have  that,  unliss  yer  pay  me  purty  well  fur  it; 
becase  it's  all  I  got,"  said  the  old  woman. 

"Well,  you  will  be  well  paid  for  it;  because  her 
peopla  are  very  wealthy,"  replied  Snickuls. 

She  looked  at  him  searchingly   and  asked: 

"If  I  hitch  up  my  ole  hoss  an'  take  that  gal  to  town, 
whatcher  goin'  ter  give  me?" 

Snickuls  did  not  have  much  in  his  pocket,  but  he 
pulled  out  a  dollar  and  handed  it  to  her,  saying: 

"There  is  a  dollar  for  you  and  you  will  get  well 
paid  when  you  get  to  Batesville." 

"A  dollar's  good  money,  but  I  wouldn't  hitch  up 
an'  take  any  gal  ter  town — between  four  an'  five  miles — 
'less  I'm  well  paid  fur  it!"  said  the  old  woman. 

Snickuls  followed  her  and  they  hurriedly  put  a  half- 
starved  horse  into  a  very  dilapidated  cart,  with  wheels 
not  the  same  size,  and  it  screeched  and  wobbled  when 
the  wheels  turned. 

"You  get  in,"  said  Snickuls,  "and  I'll  walk  by  the 
horse's  head!  I'm  afraid  that  cart  is  not  very  strong!" 

"No,  Hain't  very  strong.  Get  up,  Jerry"  replied  the 
old  woman,  using  a  long  switch  on  the  horse.  They 
soon  arrived  at  the  rail  fence,  where  there  were  some 
bars  and  a  kind  of  gate. 

Snickuls  let  the  bars  down  and  the  old  woman  drove 
into  the  woods  and  to  the  side  of  the  brook.  They 
had  put  some  corn  shucks  into  the  bottom  of  the  wagon 
and  made  a  kind  of  bed.  He  went  back  to  Henrietta, 
who  still  moved  her  beautiful  head  from  side  to  side, 
and  murmured  and  moaned. 

Snickuls  picked  her  up  carefully  and  carried  her 
with  difliculty  to  the  brook,  where  he  put  her  gently 
down  for  a  moment.  Then  taking  her  up  again  with 
a  good  hold  he  walked  through  the  brook,  out  on  the 
bank  and  took  her  to  the  cart,  where  the  old  woman 
helped  him  to  lay  her  down  on  the  improvised  bed. 


148  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"That's  goin'  ter  be  a  load  fur  Jerry  an'  ther  ole 
cart.  Are  yer  sure  I'm  goin'  ter  be  well  paid  fur 
this?"  asked  the  old  woman,  before  she  would  start 

"Yes,"  answered  Snickuls,  "you'll  be  well  paid  for 
it!"  and  he  took  hold  of  the  horse's  bridle  and  almost 
pulled  him  along,  while  the  old  cart  squeaked  and 
squeaked,  and  whenever  one  of  the  wheels  went  into 
a  rut  it  looked  as  if  it  would  either  turn  over  or  fall 
to  pieces.  The  old  woman  wanted  to  drive,  but  Snickuls 
said: 

"You  keep  the  flies  off  the  lady,  the  sun  out  of  her 
face  and  wet  her  handkerchief  and  put  it  on  her  head 
now  and  then,  and  I'll  lead  the  horse." 

Well  it  needed  leading,  for  every  few  moments  it 
would  stop  and  Snickuls  would  have  to  force  it  to  go  on. 

"My  Lord!"  exclaimed  the  old  woman,  as  she  inuif- 
ferently  fanned  Henrietta,  "thar's  boun'  ter  be  flies; 
it  looks  like  yer  can't  get  rid  uv  'em;  an'  ther  sun  will 
shine  an'  won't  hurt  nobody.  If  ther  sun  would  er 
hurt  anybody  I'd  er  bin  dead  thirty  year  ago,  an*  'tain't 
goin'  ter  hurt  this  here  gal." 

They  had  laboriously  reached  the  main  road  and  the 
horse  stopped,  when  she  spoke  to  Snickuls  again, 
saying: 

"How  much  yer  think  I'm  goin'  ter  git  fur  this  job, 
Mister?  Nuff  ter  git  me  er  new  bonnet?"  "Oh,  yes, 
much  more,"  answered  Snickuls. 

"'Nuff  ter  git  er  new  dress?"  she  asked.  "Yes,  I 
think  so!"  said  Snickuls,  annoyed,  as  he  tried  to  force 
the  old  horse  to  greater  speed. 

"I  don't  think  I'd  let  ther  ole  boss  take  ther  gal,  if 
I  can't  get  er  new  dress.  Do  yer  think  I'll  get  any 
more?" 

Snickuls  felt  like  getting  up  there  and  throwing  her 
out  of  the  cart;  particularly  as  she  was  not  paying  any 
attention  to  Henrietta,  who  moaned  and  murmured,  but 
he  replied: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  149 

"Her  father  is  rich  and  will  do  what  is  right  with 
you!" 

The  old  woman  continued,  as  Snickuls  trudged  along 
on  the  road: 

"I  couldn't  take  ther  gal  ter  town  if  he  wouldn't 
give  me  mo'  er  than  er  dress.  This  is  er  kinder  purty 
gal,  though,  an'  I  think  she'll  make  a  good  gal  fur  Tom. 
He  wants  er  gal.  How  much  yer  think  I'll  git  fur  this 
here  job?" 

Snickuls  was  so  disgusted  he  did  not  know  what 
to  do  and  went  and  looked  at  one  of  the  wheels,  which 
looked  as  if  it  would  soon  come  off.  He  thought  they 
must  be  about  two  miles  from  town  now  and  he 
switched  up  the  old  horse  again. 

"What's  that  in  yer  pocket  stickin'  out?"  asked  the 
bid  woman  of  Snickuls,  looking  over  the  side  of  the 
cart  and  oblivious  of  Henrietta  entirely.  Snickuls  put 
his  hand  to  his  pocket  and  pulled  out  a  flask  of  whisky, 
and  answered:  "That's  a  little  whisky  I  always  take 
with  me." 

"Will  yer  give  me  er  drink,  Mister?  I'd  be  much 
obleeged  if  yer  will.  Dad  hides  his  whisky,  but  I  finds 
it  all  er  same.  He  says  nice  women  never  er  drink, 
but  I  say  women  like  whisky  jest  ther  same  as  men, 
but  they's  sly  about  it,"  said  the  old  woman. 

"Yes,"  exclaimed  Snickuls,  "if  you  will  attend  to 
the  lady  more  and  help  me  to  get  her  to  town,  I  will 
give  you  a  drink,"  and  he  handed  her  the  flask.  The 
flask  was  half  full  and  before  he  knew  it  she  emptied 
the  bottle  with  one  breath. 

He  was  indignant  with  her  and,  turning,  urged  the 
horse  on  with  renewed  vigor,  when,  suddenly,  he 
stepped  on  an  unseen  rut  in  the  road  and  turned  his 
ankle  so  badly  that  he  fell  to  the  ground  and  sat  there, 
while  the  horse  stopped. 

;     The  old  woman  continued: 


150  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"My  Lord,  Mister,  that's  good  whisky !  Better  whisky 
than  dad  gits.  He  gets  his'n  in  er  jug  from  er  moon 
shiner;  but  'tain't  as  good  as  that!" 

Snickuls  held  his  ankle  a  moment,  which  pained 
him  greatly,  and  then  got  up  and  forced  the  horse  to 
go  on  again.  He  went  on  for  another  half  mile,  his 
leg  swelling  and  giving  him  agony. 

"Wish  to  God  some  good  team  would  come  along, 
so  I  could  get  her  to  town!"  exclaimed  he  to  himself. 
Snickuls  saw  the  dust  rising  from  the  road  ahead  of 
them  in  the  distance  and  reasons  that  there  must  be 
teams  there,  and  help  near  at  hand.  He  stopped  and 
said  to  the  old  woman: 

"Sit  up  in  front  there  now  and  drive  this  horse  to 
town  as  quickly  as  you  can.  If  you  meet  anyone  tell 
him  that  this  is  Major  Ashcraft's  daughter,  who  lives 
in  Batesville. 

"Everybody  knows  Major  Ashcraft  and  everybody 
will  help  you.  My  leg  is  so  swollen  I  cannot  go  any 
farther.  Drive  on  fast  now  to  where  that  dust  is  and 
they  will  help  you!  But  you  are  not  far  from  Bates 
ville  anyhow  now." 

Snickuls  hobbled  to  the  side  of  the  cart  and  looked 
at  Henrietta,  who  still  moved  her  beautiful  head  from 
side  to  side  and  moaned.  He  fixed  her  head  in  a  little 
more  comfortable  position  and  then  said  to  the  old 
woman  in  a  commanding  tone: 

"Drive  on  quickly!"  and  she  whipped  up  her  horse 
and  moved  down  the  road. 

Snickuls  sank  down  at  the  side  of  the  road  and 
held  his  leg,  which  pained  him  greatly,  and  watched 
the  cart  as  it  pushed  forward.  Suddenly  he  saw,  a  long 
way  off,  some  horsemen  surrounding  her  cart,  who 
stopped  a  moment  and  then  they  all  disappeared  around 
a  turn  in  the  road. 

It  was  Major  Ashcraft's  party  and  he  was  accom 
panied  by  Mayor  Homer.  The  time  was  ten  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  Early  that  morning  The  Major  had 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  151 

offered  one  thousand  dollars  reward  to  anybody  who 
would  find  his  daughter.  Having  looked  thoroughly  all 
over  the  city,  his  party  thought  they  would  ride  into 
the  country  and  see  and  hear  what  they  could. 

"Look,  Mayor!  there  is  an  old  woman  in  a  cart,  com 
ing!  How  strangely  she  acts!"  exclaimed  The  Major, 
pointing  to  the  approaching  cart. 

The  old  woman  whipped  her  horse  harder  and 
shouted: 

"Say,  all  of  yer  men!  I've  got  yer  Major  Hashcraft's 
gal  in  this  here  cart  an*  I  want  yer  ter  give  me  er 
reward !" 

The  horsemen  spurred  their  horses  to  the  side  of 
the  cart  and  there  lay  the  beautiful  Henrietta. 

"Good  old  woman!  Noble  old  woman!"  cried  The 
Mayor.  "You  shall  have  the  reward  of  one  thousand 
dollars  offered,  for  finding  her!" 

The  Major  had  jumped  into  the  cart  and  taken  his 
daughter  in  his  arms,  kissing  her  over  and  over  and 
calling  her  pet  names;  but,  as  her  head  lay  on  his 
shoulder,  she  only  turned  it  from  side  to  side  and 
moaned. 

"One  thousand  dollars!  Why,  that'll  build  me  er 
fine  house!  That's  jist  fine!  Where's  the  money?" 
exclaimed  the  old  woman. 

"Yes,"  replied  The  Mayor,  "as  you  found  the  lady, 
you  are  entitled  to  the  reward,  and  when  we  get  to 
town  I  will  go  to  the  bank  and  give  you  the  money!" 

"Of  course  I  found  ther  gal!  She  was  lyin'  on  the 
road  an'  I  picked  her  up  and  bringed  her  ter  town!" 
The  horsemen  stopped  a  good  team  and  wagon 
approaching  and  very  soon  the  unconscious  Henrietta 
was  at  her  own  home  in  her  own  bed,  with  Dr.  Biddle 
bending  over  her. 

WThen  The  Mayor  that  afternoon  paid  the  old  woman 
Qne  thousand  dollars,  at  the  bank,  she  took  it  and  said: 

"That  \vas  er  tough  job  ter  bring  that  gal  ter  town 
all  by  myself!" 


152  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

That  night  Tommy  Dust  went  to  The  Snickuls  and 
Tommy  Club  and  found  Snickuls  lying  on  the  old 
lounge  on  his  back.  One  of  his  feet  had  the  shoe  cut 
off,  which  was  lying  on  the  floor,  and  that  foot  was 
bandaged  up.  This  foot  was  on  the  lounge,  greatly 
swollen,  and  the  other  rested  on  the  floor. 

Snickuls  was  drunk,  or  mostly  so,  and,  as  he  lay 
there,  Tommy  with  alarm  questioned  him,  until  he  got 
out  of  him  the  occurrences  of  the  day. 

"Now,  Snickuls,  it's  all  a  lie  about  what  they  say 
about  that  old  woman  saving  Miss  Henrietta.  You  are 
the  one  who  did  it  and  nobody  else!  That's  just  like 
you,  Snickuls.  Everybody  imposes  on  you.  You  have 
got  to  go  and  get  that  reward!"  exclaimed  Tommy, 
excitedly. 

"No — Tom— my!  Claim  a — re — ward  for  saving  that 
beau — ti — hie — ful  be — ing?  Re — member — Tom — hie— 
y — how  she — hie — sang  Je — hie — sus  Lover — hie — of — 
my  Soul?  Hie — So  sweet! — so — sweet — Tom — my,"  and 
Snickuls  was  asleep.  : 

Tommy  bent  over  him  and  kissed  the  tired  head  and 
tangled  hair,  and  then  looked  down  with  pity  on  the 
weary  body  and  crippled  foot. 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

When  Alvin  Berry  was  conducted  to  the  nearest 
Police  Station,  the  Sergeant  at  the  desk  thought  that 
Captain  Berry  had  just  stepped  in  as  a  visit  or  on 
some  business  and  held  out  his  hand  to  him,  when 
the  couple  reached  the  desk,  saying: 

"How  do  you  do,  Captain  Berry.  I  am  so  glad  to 
see  you!" 

Alvin   took  his  hand  and  replied:  : 

"I  guess  you  make  a  mistake,  Sergeant;  the  officer' 
has  me  under  arrest  and  will  explain." 

"'Yes,"  said  the  policeman  at  his  side,  "it  is  witlr 
regret  I  have  to  enter  a  charge  of  murder  against 
Captain  Alvin  Berry." 


153 

He  told  the  circumstances  of  hearing  the  pistol  shot, 
entering  the  back  of  the  saloon  and  finding  Captain 
Berry  standing  over  the  prostrate  bleeding  body  of 
Albert  Luxy,  with  a  pistol  on  the  floor  by  his  side  and 
evidence  in  the  room  of  a  fierce  struggle;  for  tables 
and  chairs  were  overturned. 

"Of  course,  Sergeant  Ruggles,  I  give  you  this  for 
what  it  is  worth.  Captain  Berry  savs  he  will  not  say 
anything  only  through  his  attorney,"  continued  the 
policeman. 

The  Sergeant  at  the  desk  looked  very  serious  and 
troubled  and  replied,  looking  respectfully  at  Alvin:  "If 
that  is  the  case,  Captain  Berry,  it  will  be  my  painful 
duty  to  confine  you  for  the  night.  You  can  see  that 
it  is  our  duty,  don't  you,  Captain?" 

"That  is  all  right,"  answered  Alvin,  "only  give  me 
a  piece  of  paper.  I  want  to  write  a  note  to  Colonel 
Berry,  my  father." 

He  took  a  pen  and  wrote: 

"Dear  Father:    They  have  got  me  in  jail.     Do  not 
worry,  but  get  Attorney  I.  C.  Wisdom  and  come  to  me 
and  I  will  tell  you  both  all  the  circumstances.     Break 
the  news  to  mother  as  gently  as  you  can. 
"Affectionately, 

"ALVIN." 

The  Sergeant  gave  him  an  envelope  and  he  sealed 
the  note  up. 

"Now,  Phillips,"  said  Alvin,  handing  the  envelope 
to  the  policeman,,  "if  you  will  give  that  to  my  father, 
in  the  morning,  I  will  thank  you  and  may  be  able  to 
do  you  a  favor  some  day." 

"I  certainly  will  do  it,  with  great  pleasure,  Captain 
Berry,"  exclaimed  the  policeman,  and  he  went  with 
Alvin  to  his  cell,  where  the  latter  was  locked  up. 

On  his  way  down-town  the  next  morning,  in  his 
carriage  Colonel  Berry  rode.  His  coachman  saw  a 
policeman  at  the  corner  ahead  motion  to  him  to  stop. 
He  stepped  up  to  the  side  of  the  carriage,  took  his 


154  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

helmet  off  respectfully  and  handed  The  Colonel  an 
envelope,  which  was  the  note  Alvin  wrote  the  night 
before  at  Police  Station. 

The  Colonel  read  the  note  with  a  start,  turned  pale 
and  half  arose  in  the  carriage,  saying: 

"Where  is  Captain  Berry?"  The  policeman  an 
swered:  "They  transferred  him  to  the  large  County  Jail 
in  the  night,  Colonel.  Is  there  anything  I  can  do  for 
you,  Colonel?" 

"No,  thank  you!"  answered  The  Colonel,  and  he 
commanded  the  driver: 

"Drive  quickly  to  Attorney  Wisdom's  office  and  then 
we  will  go  to  Alvin!" 

The  Colonel  thanked  the  policeman  again,  who  took 
off  his  hat  as  they  drove  away. 

Attorney  Wisdom  was  on  the  way  to  his  office  in 
Temple  Block.  The  newsboys  came  rushing  along  the 
street,  crying: 

"Paper!  Paper!  Buy  The  Clarion!  All  about  The 
Brutal  Murder!  Read  about  Miss  Ashcraft  Found! 
Paper!  Paper!" 

The  lawyer  bought  a  paper  and  read: 

BRUTAL  MURDER. 

Alvin   Berry   Shoots   to   Death   Albert   Luxy   in   Berry 
Saloon,  Number  23. 

Policeman  Joe  Phillips  heard  a  pistol  shot  on  his 
beat,  near  Saloon  Number  23,  at  midnight  last  .night. 
He  entered  the  rear  of  the  saloon  and  found  Albert 
Luxy  on  the  floor  dying  from  a  wound  in  the  head, 
inflicted  by  Alvin  Berry,  who  was  standing  over  his 
victim,  apparently  unconcerned.  Mayor  Homer  says: 

"I  especially  deputized  Albert  Luxy  and  appointed 
him  detective  to  run  down  violators  of  The  Midnight 
Closing  Law,  and  no  doubt  he  arrested  young  Berry 
for  breaking  the  law,  who  resisted  arrest  and  killed 
Luxy.  Berry  is  reported  to  be  the  most  expert  pistol 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  155 

shot  in  the  State  of  Yorksylvania  and  he  has  used  his 
skill  to  a  bad  end.  From  all  appearances  it  looks  like 
a  brutal  murder." 

The  next  column  of  the  paper  was  almost  as  start 
ling: 

FOUND   AT   LAST. 


Miss  Henrietta  Ashcraft. 


The  mystery  of  the  disappearance  of  Miss  Henrietta 
Ashcraft  was  somewhat  dispelled  by  an  old  woman, 
who  drove  into  town  with  the  insensible  form  of  the 
daughter  of  our  esteemed  townsman,  Major  Ashcraft. 

The  old  woman  says  she  was  driving  along  the 
road  in  her  cart,  about  four  miles  out  from  the  west 
end  of  the  city,  and  saw  a  woman  lying  in  the  road. 
With  great  difficulty  she  got  the  unconscious  form  into 
her  cart  and  brought  her  to  town. 

The  thanks  of  the  city  are  extended  to  this  brave 
old  woman  for  her  arduous  task,  and  she  well  deserved 
the  reward  of  one  thousand  dollars  that  Mayor  Homer 
paid  her. 

The  mystery  of  how  Miss  Henrietta  got  there  and 
where  she  was  found  is  unsolved.  It  is  supposed  that 
she  was  thrown  from  her  father's  carriage  on  her 
head,  which  affected  her  so  that  she  wandered  away 
all  night.  We  are  sorry  to  learn  that  Miss  Ashcraft  is 
now  delirious  at  her  father's  home,  under  care  of  Dr. 
Biddle. 

As  Attorney  Wisdom  stood  reading  he  heard  the 
rumbling  of  a  carriage,  which  drove  up  to  the  curb 
by  him  and  Colonel  Berry  called  out  to  him: 

"Gome,  Wisdom,  get  into  my  carriage!  I  need  you 
at  once  on  important  business!" 

The  Attorney  got  in  and  read  Alvin's  note,  handed 
to  him  by  The  Colonel,  as  the  latter  commanded  the 
coachman: 

"Drive  to  the  County  Jail!" 


156  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

When  they  arrived  at  the  great  wall  gate  of  the 
jail,  several  policemen  at  the  entrance  saluted  them  as 
they  got  out  of  the  carriage. 

"What  part  of  the  building  is  Captain  Alvin  Berry 
confined  in?"  asked  The  Colonel. 

"Walk  right  in,  Colonel!  Come  with  me  into  the 
office  and  they  will  give  you  full  information  there," 
answered  one  of  the  big  officers,  taking  them  inside 
and  walking  up  the  steps  to  the  office. 

In  the  jail  office  the  Clerk  and  Head  Jailor  paid 
the  greatest  deference  to  the  two  visitors,  and  they 
were  escorted  along  the  great  corridor  until  Cell  No.  1 
was  reached,  which  was  reserved  for  distinguished 
prisoners.  The  cell  door  was  opened  and  The  Colonel 
embraced  Alvin,  kissing  him  on  the  cheek. 

Alvin  had  not  slept  any  during  the  night  and  it  was 
not  in  nature  to  do  so,  though  his  body  felt  very  tired. 
He  sat  on  the  side  of  his  cot  and  thought  to  himself: 

"Well,  I  wonder  how  I  am  coming  out  of  this?  I 
know  I  did  not  shoot  him;  but  it  looks  as  if  I  did.  If 
there  had  only  been  a  witness  to  the  struggle — but 
there  was  not!"  He  then  laid  down  and  tried  to  com 
pose  himself,  but  he  could  not  sleep.  Sitting  on  the 
bed  with  his  father's  arm  around  him  and  Attorney 
Wisdom  seated  in  a  chair  just  in  front  of  him,  Alvin 
told  them  all  the  occurrences  that  took  place  the  night 
before  at  Saloon  No.  23,  where  he  went  to  straighten 
out  Bartender  Briggs. 

When  he  had  finished  Colonel  Berry  pulled  his  son's 
raven  head  down  to  his  shoulder  and  kissed  it,  saying: 

"I  believe  every  word  you  said,  my  son!"  and  Attor 
ney  Wisdom  took  his  hand  and  exclaimed:  "And  I  do, 
too,  Captain!" 

We  will  leave  them  talking  there  and  go  to  The 
Berry  Zouaves*  Armory.  Soldiers  were  standing  in 
groups  around  on  the  floor  of  the  great  building,  talk 
ing  excitedly  and  running  from  one  to  the  other. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  157 

"It  is  nothing  but  a  Prohibition  plot  to  disgrace  our 
Captain,  and  damned  if  we  will  stand  it!"  exclaimed 
Second  Lieutenant  Ghapin. 

"To  Hell  with  'em  I"  shouted  Sergeant  Ripples. 
"We'll  storm  the  jail!"  cried  another. 

"That  we  will!  Fall  in  line,  men!"  commanded 
First  Lieutenant  Hopkins. 

Each  Berry  Zouave  rushed  to  his  stack  of  arms, 
seized  his  musket  and  stood  in  line,  and  then  the  voice 
of  Hopkins  rang  out  again: 

"Attention!      Shoulder   Arms        Forward    March!" 

In  a  few  moments  The  Berry  Zouaves  were  seen 
running  in  perfect  step — about  two  hundred  of  them — 
down  the  street,  and  before  the  big  policemen  at  the 
jail  entrance  had  time  to  draw  their  revolvers,  at  least 
fifty  cocked  muskets  were  leveled  at  them  and  bayonets 
placed  at  their  breasts. 

Lieutenant  Hopkins  demanded  their  arms,  which  the 
policemen  delivered  up.  The  officials  on  the  inside,  in 
the  building,  had  time  to  close  the  heavy  jail  doors 
and  would  not  open  them. 

The  Chief  of  Police  came  driving  toward  the  jail 
and  saw  the  long  line  of  Berry  Zouaves  standing  in 
front  of  it,  with  arms  at  rest,  and  a  group  of  the  Zouave 
officers  and  men  had  possession  of  the  gate  entrance. 
He  stopped  his  horse  and  looked.  Just  then  one  of 
the  disarmed  policemen  came  running  up  to  his  buggy 
and  exclaimed: 

"Chief,  The  Berry  Zouaves  have  disarmed  us  and 
they  swear,  if  we  do  not  deliver  up  their  Captain,  they 
will  blow  up  the  jail!" 

"Get  in  my  buggy  and  we  will  go  to  the  officer  in 
command  and  see  what  he  says!"  commanded  The 
Chief,  at  the  same  tying  his  handkerchief  to  his  whip, 
as  he  came  toward  a  couple  of  sentinels,  who  stood  in 
the  road  and  cocked  their  muskets  as  he  approached. 

"What  do  you  want?  Stop  there!"  cried  one  of 
them. 


158  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Want  to  see  officer  in  command;  I  am  The  Chief 
of  Police!"  answered  The  Chief.  The  Zouave  replied: 

"Chief  of  Police  be  damned!  Get  out  of  your  buggy 
and  deliver  up  your  arms  and  we  will  talk  to  you; 
but,  if  you  try  any  of  your  smart  tricks,  we  will  fill 
you  full  of  lead!"  The  Chief  of  Police  got  out  of  his 
buggy,  took  off  his  belt  with  pistols  in  it  and  handed 
them  to  the  soldiers. 

"Now,  will  you  either  bring  the  man  in  command 
or  take  me  to  him,  please,"  said  The  Chief. 

The  soldier  marched  by  his  side  until  they  reached 
the  entrance  gate,  where  stood  Lieutenant  Hopkins  and 
some  other  officers.  The  soldier  saluted,  while  The 
Chief  of  Police  addressed  Hopkins: 

"Lieutenant,  it  seems  that  you  would  have  respect 
for  us  and  the  laws,  for  we  are  only  doing  our  duty!" 

"Law  or  no  law,  if  you  do  not  deliver  up  our  Captain 
to  us,  inside  of  a  half  hour,  we'll  get  a  cannon  and 
blow  this  jail  to  Hell!"  exclaimed  Hopkins. 

The  Chief  knew  that  Hopkins  meant  what  he  said, 
and  replied: 

"Well,  Lieutenant,  you  know  that  I  am  only  a  subor 
dinate  of  Mayor  Homer.  Would  you  give  me  time  until 
I  go  and  report  to  him  what  you  say  and  I  will  return 
in  a  short  time?" 

Hopkins  gave  his  promise,  if  he  would  hurry  back. 

At  that  moment  Mayor  Homer  was  in  his  private 
office,  in  The  City  Hall,  talking  to  Lucy  Hurryup  and 
Rev.  Nostir. 

"I  have  just  come  from  talking  to  poor  Miss  Ask- 
witch,  who  is  so  grief-stricken  at  the  terrible  murder 
of  her  nephew  by  that  brute,  Alvin  Berry.  What  a 
noble  fellow  and  champion  of  our  cause  Albert  Luxy 
was,  and  how  horrible  is  it  that  that  family  of  soul 
and  body  assassins  should  be  the  cause  of  his  death!" 
exclaimed  Lucy  Hurryup,  wiping  her  eyes.  "The  Lord 
be  merciful!"  moaned  Rev.  Nostir. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  159 

"And  as  Executive  of  this  city  I  will  see  that  this 
aristocratic  murderer  is  given  the  full  penalty  of  the 
law,  and  that  this  family  of  Berrys  are  driven  to  the 
wall  and  out  of  this  community!"  chimed  in  The  Mayor, 
bringing  his  fist  down  on  his  table  with  great  vehem 
ence. 

A  loud  knock  was  heard  at  the  door  and  The  Chief 
of  Police  entered  hurriedly  and  came  up  to  the  group, 
saying: 

"The  policemen  at  the  jail  gates  have  been  disarmed 
by  The  Berry  Zouaves  and  they  threaten  to  blow  up 
the  jail  in  a  half  hour,  if  we  do  not  release  Captain 
Berry!  What  shall  I  do,  Mayor?" 

Lucy  Hurryup  sprang  to  her  feet  and  raised  herself 
to  her  full  height,  exclaiming: 

"I  would  go  down  among  the  citizens,  arouse  the 
town  arid  overwhelm  those  villains,  who  dare  to  defy 
the  law!  I  would  go  and  see  that  this  bold  murderer, 
Alvin  Berry,  is  hung  higher  than  Haman  and  his  whole 
family  of  Rum  sots  are  driven  from  this  region!" 

The  Mayor  sat  in  his  chair  very  pale,  with  eyes 
blank,  and  The  Chief  looked  at  Lucy  Hurryup  with 
contempt,  saying: 

"Madam,  you  do  not  know  what  you  are  talking 
about.  At  least  half  the  town  is  in  sympathy  with 
Captain  Berry,  and,  if  you  could  raise  an  armed  force, 
The  Berry  Zouaves  would  go  through  them  like  a  fire 
through  a  dry  field  of  straw. 

"Another  thing,  madam,  they  are  just  in  the  mood 
to  hang  you  and  some  of  the  other  Prohibitionists  up, 
if  you  go  near  them!" 

"Cowards!  Cowards!  to  attack  a  woman!"  retorted 
Lucy.  The  Chief  replied: 

"The  question,  madam,  is,  Are  you  not  cowardly  to 
meddle  with  masculine  matters  and  then,  when  dis 
aster  results  from  your  meddling,  fall  back  on  your 
being  a  woman  to  keep  from  getting  hurt?" 


160  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Wha — at — woo  —  would  you  —  sug  —  gest?"  stam 
mered  Mayor  Homer. 

"I  suggest  that  you  go,  or  let  me  go,  to  see  Colonel 
Berry,"  answered  The  Chief. 

"Colonel  Berry!"  shouted  Lucy,  with  great  indigna 
tion,  stamping  her  foot,  "the  idea  of  going  to  see  that 
assassin  of  souls!" 

"Yes,"  go  to  see  Colonel  Berry!"  replied  The  Chief. 
"This  town  is  absolutely  in  his  power,  for  those  men 
would  burn  this  town  or  go  through  Hell  Fire  at  his 
nod!" 

Lucy  seemed  somewhat  abashed  at  these  words  and 
turned  her  head  away  The  Chief  thought  an  unusually 
long  time.  He  continued: 

"I  have  known  Colonel  Berry  in  this  city  for  fifteen 
years  and,  to  my  knowledge,  he  has  never  done  any 
thing  against  the  law.  The  men  who  obey  the  law 
are  the  greatest  upholders  of  the  law  and  I  believe,  if 
we  appeal  to  Colonel  Berry  and  give  his  son  a  fair 
trial,  he  will  uphold  the  law.  He  is  a  perfect  gentle 
man  at  all  times  and,  if  you  will  allow  me,  I  will  go 
and  ask  him  to  uphold  the  law  by  ordering  The  Berry 
Zouaves  away  from  the  jail." 

The  three  Prohibitionists  sat  silent  for  once,  quiet 
in  their  chairs,  and  Mayor  Homer  said: 

"I  guess  that  is  the  best  thing  to  do,  Chief."  The 
Chief  continued: 

"Another  thing  I  would  advise  you  to  do,  Mayor, 
and  that  is  to  close  the  mouth  of  that  newspaper — The 
Clarion — for  a  few  days,  at  least,  or  those  Zouaves  will 
likely  hang  the  Editor  up  and  burn  his  building  down!" 
and  then  he  went  out. 

The  long  line  of  Barry  Zouaves  stood,  with  muskets 
at  rest,  in  front  of  the  jail,  waiting  any  command  that 
their  officers  might  give.  The  minor  officers  were  in 
their  proper  positions,  near  the  line,  and  First  Lieu 
tenant  Hopkins  stood  near  the  great  jail  gate,  sword 
in  hand,  with  a  squad  of  soldiers,  who  kept  guard. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  161 

All  of  a  sudden  the  tall  form  of  Colonel  Berry, 
accompanied  by  Attorney  Wisdom,  was  seen  coming 
out  of  the  building  to  the  gate. 

Up  went  Hopkins'  sword  in  salute  and  his  voice 
rang  out: 

"Attention,  Company!  Salute  your  Colonel!  Pre 
sent  Arms!" 

The  minor  officers  repeated  the  command  and,  as 
one  man,  the  Zouaves  acted  with  precision,  holding 
muskets  in  front  of  them.  The  Colonel,  though  his 
face  showed  much  trouble,  became  erect,  and  returned 
the  salute  and  a  gleam  of  pride  shot  out  from  his  eyes 
as  he  glanced  along  the  lines  of  determined  men. 

Just  then  The  Chief  of  Police  rode  up  and  a  soldier 
escorted  him  to  The  Colonel,  and  he  asked  The  Colonel 
if  he  might  speak  to  him  a  moment. 

"Speak  right  out  here,  Chief,"  replied  The  Colonel 
kindly  and  with  dignity. 

"Colonel,"  said  The  Chief,  "The  Mayor  is  sensible 
of  the  devotion  your  troops  have  for  their  Captain  and 
thinks  it  is  admirable.  He  says  that  he  does  not  wish 
to  do  Captain  Berry  the  slightest  harm  and  it  is  only 
his  desire  to  see  the  laws  carried  out. 

"The  Mayor,  myself,  the  police  officers  and  jailors 
are  put  here  by  the  people  to  preserve  peace  and  carry 
out  the  law,  and  we  are  now  trying  to  perform  our 
duty  to  them,  the  State  and  the  whole  country. 

"What  is  going  to  become  of  our  city,  Colonel,  if 
you,  one  of  its  most  prominent  men,  and  your  followers 
defy  the  law?  All  we  ask,  Colonel,  is  for  you,  or  any 
one,  to  give  us  a  chance  and  we  will  see  that  Captain 
Berry  has  a  fair  trial  for  what  he  is  charged  with  and 
will  extend  to  him  every  courtesy. 

"Now,  Colonel,  The  Mayor,  myself  and  all  the  offi 
cials  of  the  City  Government  extend  our  respects  to 
you,  your  officers  and  men  and  ask  you  to  aid  us  in 
simply  carrying  out  the  law,  without  any  ill  feeling 
to  Captain  Berry,  which  is  our  sworn  duty." 


162  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

The  Colonel  looked  very  grave  and  showed  to  his 
followers,  who  scrutinized  his  face  closely  and  eagerly 
awaited  his  reply,  that  a  mighty  struggle  was  going  on 
in  his  heart.  He  recollected  the  petty  annoyances,  the 
underhanded  pieces  of  malice,  the  scandals,  the  innuen 
does,  the  insults  and  aggressions  of  The  Mayor  and  his 
party  that  had  been  growing  worse  every  year  and 
which,  at  the  bottom,  was  the  cause  of  Alvin's  present 
trouble,  and  he  thought,  quickly,  that  now  would  be 
the  time  to  show  these  people  his  power  and  to  release 
Alvin. 

But  then  he  knew  what  The  Chief  said  was  true, 
namely:  "What  is  going  to  become  of  our  city,  Colonel, 
if  you,  one  of  its  most  prominent  men,  defy  the  law?" 

He  also  knew  that  his  victory  with  his  Zouaves 
could  only  be  temporary;  for  the  great  State  of  York- 
sylvania  would  not  tolerate  the  interruption  of  the 
trial  of  a  man  for  murder,  and  sooner  or  later  would 
use  the  whole  power  of  the  State  to  put  Alvin  back 
in  jail  and  try  him  for  the  crime  of  which  he  was 
accused. 

In  a  few  moments  The  Colonel,  with  an  apparent 
effort,  spoke  out  in  a  deep  voice: 

"You  are  right;  the  law  must  be  obeyed!  We  can 
have  no  order,  no  peace,  no  prosperity  and  no  happiness, 
unless  the  law  is  obeyed! 

"First  Lieutenant  Hopkins,  next  in  command,  you 
have  heard  what  The  Chief  has  said  and  I  think  he 
is  right.  Present  the  thanks  of  their  Captain  and  of 
myself — their  Colonel — for  their  devotion,  to  the  men 
and  say  that  I  think  their  Captain  will  soon  be  acquitted 
of  the  grave  charge;  but,  if  I  should  need  their  services, 
I  will  soon  call  on  them.  Go  to  the  men,  First  Lieu 
tenant,  explain  the  matter  to  them  and  give  orders  for 
them  to  return  to  The  Armory!" 

The  First  Lieutenant  saluted  with  his  sword,  marched 
out  in  front  of  the  line  of  Zouaves,  communicated  with 
the  minor  officers,  who  communicated  with  the  men. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  163 

In  a  few  moments  Lieutenant  Hopkins  called  out: 

"Right  Shoulder,  Arms!  Right  About  Face!  For 
ward  March!"  and  The  Berry  Zouaves  were  gone,  leav 
ing  their  Colonel,  Attorney  Wisdom  and  The  Chief  of 
Police  standing  at  The  Great  Gate  of  The  County  Jail. 

Colonel   Berry   turned  to  The   Chief  and   said: 

"Chief,  we  leave  you  in  command!"  and  he  and 
Attorney  Wisdom  walked  away. 

As  they  sat  in  the  lawyer's  office  Colonel  Berry  said 
anxiously: 

"Of  course,  Wisdom,  I  have  implicit  belief  and  con 
fidence  in  what  my  son  tells,  but  it  seems  to  me  that 
what  took  place  is  all  against  him.  There  is  no  witness 
on  our  side  and  what  evidence  there  is  seems  to  be  al> 
in  favor  of  the  other  side!" 

The  Attorney  answered: 

"That  is  true,  Colonel,  but  do  not  worry;  we  will 
study  up  something.  Go  home,  now,  and  take  a  rest 
and  it  will  all  come  out  all  right." 

At  the  top  of  The  Hinsdale  Hotel,  in  a  small  bed 
room,  a  verp  pretty  girl  sat  at  a  table,  writing.  It  was 
Ella  Rowe,  the  chambermaid.  In  front  of  her  was  » 
glass  of  water  and  arising  out  of  it  were  two  mag 
nificent  roses  on  one  stem. 

She  finished  her  writing,  read  it  over  and  exclaimed 
with  a  deep  sigh:  "Oh,  if  I  had  such  a  man  as  that 
I  could  worship  him!" 

Folding  her  letter  she  placed  it  in  an  envelope  and 
addressed  it,  took  the  roses  and  went  downstairs. 

In  his  cell  at  The  County  Jail  Alvin  Berry  was  pac 
ing  up  and  down  the  floor.  The  turnkey  came  to  the 
door  and  handed  him  a  letter  and  two  flowers  on  a 
stem.  Alvin  took  the  flowers,  with  apparent  pleasure, 
and  the  letter  and  exclaimed: 

"How  pretty  they  are,  and  I  am  so  thankful  that 
someone  has  remembered  me!" 

The  letter  was  addressed: 


164  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Captain  Alvin  Berry,  I  am  only  a  poor  girl,  but  I 
remember  your  kindness  to  me  in  time  of  trouble.  It 
would  make  me  happy  to  be  of  any  service  to  you,  if 
I  could. 

"Tell  me — is  there  anything  I  can  do  for  you?  I  am 
so  sorry  they  have  accused  you  of  committing  that 
Crime  and  do  not  believe  a  word  of  it 

"Excuse  me,  if  I  am  too  forward,  but  I  would  be 
so  glad  if  I  could  do  something  for  you. 
"Your  friend, 

"ELLA  ROWE." 

Alvin  took  a  small  cup,  put  some  water  in  it  from 
a  pitcher  and  sat  the  flowers  on  a  chair  near  the  head 
of  his  cot.  He  then  laid  down,  read  the  note  over 
again  and  said  to  himself: 

"She  is  such  a  nice  girl." 
-     As  he  lay  there  his  thoughts  turned  to  Henrietta: 

"Where  is  she  and  what  does  she  think  of  me  now?" 

He  wondered  if  she  believed  all  the  stories  and 
calumnies  that  The  Prohibitionists  were  always  ready 
to  heap  upon  him.  What  did  she  think  of  the  death  of 
Luxy  and  did  she  really  love  him?  Did  she  really 
believe  that  he  brutally  murdered  Luxy?  Oh,  that  he 
only  knew  what  Henrietta  thought  of  him! 

These  are  the  thoughts  that  passed  through  his 
brain;  but  he  little  knew,  for  no  one  had  told  him  of 
Henrietta's  plight,  that  at  that  moment  Henrietta  lay 
in  her  bed  in  delirium,  with  Dr.  Riddle  watching  her 
and  a  trained  nurse  close  at  hand. 

The  Doctor  said  to  himself: 

"She  ought  to  come  out  of  it  soon.  -Tendencies! 
Tendencies!  Too  much  love,  too  much  passion  in  her 
constitution!" 

At  the  end  of  the  week,  one  morning,  the  trained 
nurse  was  looking  at  her  asleep,  when  she  opened  her 
eyes  and  said,  weakly: 

"Where  am  I?" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  165 

Henrietta  was  perfectly  rational,  but  seemed  dazed 
and  went  to  sleep  again.  , 

There  was  great  rejoicing  by  Major  Ashcraft  and 
the  whole  family  and  connections;  but  Dr.  Biddle  said 
she  must  remain  perfectly  quiet  for  some  time  and 
not  be  talked  to;  so  the  family  just  peeped  into  the 

room  and  went  away,  each  of  them. 

********* 

Judge  Elmira  Sims  was  a  peculiar  man  for  a  Judge. 
He  believed  in  holding  Court  all  the  time  the  year 
round  and  having  very  little  vacation.  For  instance, 
Alvin  Berry's  trial  was  fixed  for  a  very  early  date,  like 
every  other  case  was  that  came  before  his  Court. 

The  Judge  always  said:  "There  is  no  reason  why 
the  legal  business  of  the  county  should  not  be  as 
expeditious  as  any  other  business!" 

Another  one  of  his  sayings  was: 

"There  should  be  no  obstacles  of  any  kind  placed 
in  the  way  of  the  most  humble  in  the  land  in  obtain 
ing  Justice  of  The  Courts. 

"It  is  my  opinion  that  when  a  litigant  loses  his  case 
there  should  not  be  any  costs  of  Court  assessed  against 
him  or  them;  it  should  be  charged  up  to  the  State, 
County  or  City,  as  expenses,  the  same  as  the  salaries 
of  their  Court  officials  are.  In  fact,  there  should  not 
be  any  costs  of  Court. 

"There  should  not  be  any  fee  or  costs  staring  a 
citizen  in  the  face,  which  act  as  a  deterent  or  obstruc 
tion  in  his  action  to  obtain  Justice. 

"There  should  not  only  be  a  Public  Prosecutor  for 
the  State  and  County,  but  there  should  also  be  a 
Tribune,  or  protector  of  any  and  every  citizen  that" 
appeals  to  him,  not  only  in  Criminal  Courts,  but  in  all 
Courts;  so  that  all  men  may  have  a  lawyer,  without 
cost,  and  so  that  any  citizen  can  bring  an  action  to 
meet  the  ends  of  Justice,  without  cost  to  himself. 


166  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Access  to  the  administration  of  Justice  should  be 
absolutely  unimpeded  and  be  as  free  to  all  as  air  or 
water. 

"That  does  not  mean  that  there  should  not  be  numer 
ous  outside  attorneys-at-law,  for  a  litigant  can  hire 
whom  he  pleases  to  conduct  his  case;  but  the  Tribune, 
under  government  salary,  would  always  be  a  recourse 
for  the  poor  man,  to  take  his  case  free  of  cost,  whether 
in  criminal  or  civil  suits." 

The  Prosecuting  Attorney  had  resigned  and  by  the 
hard  work  of  The  Prohibitionists,  in  his  favor,  I.  L. 
Appeal  had  been  appointed  in  his  place. 

The  Prohibitionists  were  very  jubilant,  because 
Alvin  Berry's  case  was  in  his  hands,  as  Attorney  for 
The  County,  to  be  prosecuted. 

In  the  office  of  Attorney  Appeal,  talking  to  him,  sat 
Lucy  Hurryup,  Deacon  Going,  Rev.  Peter  Nostir  and 
Miss  Askwitch. 

"The  Lord  is  mighty  in  battle  and  casts  down  the 
strong  in  high  places,  and  I  hope  this  child  of  iniquity, 
Alvin  Berry,  will  get  the  punishment  he  deserves  for 
his  sins!"  exclaimed  Rev.  Nostir. 

"A — a — men,"  chimed  in  Deacon  Going. 

"And  if  he  is  convicted  and  executed,  his  infamous 
father  will  leave  the  country,  I  am  sure,"  remarked 
Lucy  Hurryup. 

"A — a — men,"  chimed  in  Deacon  Going. 

Dressed  in  deep  black,  with  a  long  veil,  Miss  Ask 
witch  began  to  cry,  sobbing  out: 

"Al — bert  was — one — of  the  fin — est  young — men  that 
ever — lived  and — to  think  that — he — should  be  so  foul — 
ly  murdered — by  that  wretch!" 

"A — a — men,"  chimed  in  Deacon  Going,  wiping  his 
eyes. 

"Of  course,"  said  Attorney  Appeal,  "I  do  not  know 
what  game  Lawyer  Wisdom  will  spring  on  us;  but  it 
looks  to  me  that  we  have  got  our  honorable  friend, 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  167 

Captain  Berry,  in  a  sure  hole  for  conviction  and  he  is 
pretty  apt  to  hang. 

"Good!"  almost  shouted  Lucy  Hurryup  and  the 
others  exclaimed  the  same  thing. 

Attorney  Appeal  continued: 

"They  have  no  witnesses  and  everything  is  on  our 
side,  and  I  do  not  see  how  he  can  escape.  I  have  been 
to  see  The  Governor  and"  he  told  me  that  he  wrote  to 
Colonel  Berry  that  he  would  not  tolerate  any  inter 
ference  with  The  Courts  and  if  there  were  any,  he 
would  send  the  whole  National  Guard  of  Yorksylvania 
to  uphold  the  law.  So  you  see  we  have  headed  them 
off,  any  way  they  turn." 

"What  day  is  set  for  the  trial?"  asked  Rev.  Nostir. 

"Monday  is  the  first  day  of  the  trial,  but  it  will  take 
two  or  three  days  to  select  a  jury.  About  Wednesday 
the  real  trial  will  commence  and  I  think  we  will  have 
him  convicted  about  Saturday,"  answered  Lawyer 
Appeal. 

"That  will  be  glorious!"  exclaimed  Miss  Askwitch, 
and  she  actually  smiled. 

"Yes,  glorious!"  said  Lucy,  and  Deacon  Going 
uttered:  "A— a— men!" 

In  the  same  building,  in  another  office,  sat  Lawyer 
Wisdom,  deep  in  thought.  He  muttered  to  himself: 

"Everything  is  against  The  Captain  and  I  dare  not 
tell  his  father  so.  If  I  only  had  a  witness!  Only  had 
a  witness!" 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Henrietta  Ashcraft  lay  on  her  elegant  and  comfort 
able  bed  and  everybody  thought  she  was  asleep.  Miss 
Askwitch,  Lucy  Hurryup  and  Mrs.  Jane  Bowink  were 
talking  low  in  the  next  room,  but  Henrietta  could  hear 
every  word  that  was  said. 

"Today  is  Thursday  and  is  the  most  important  day 
of  the  trial.  Yesterday  Lawyer  Appeal,  for  The  State, 
put  Mayor  Homer  on  the  stand  to  prove  that  he  sent 


168  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Albert  as  an  officer  to  arrest  such  men  as  that  mur 
derer,  Alvin  Berry,  for  breaking  The  Midnight  Closing 
Law,"  said  Miss  Askwitch. 

Henrietta  raised  herself  on  her  elbow  and  whis 
pered  to  herself: 

"They  call  Alvin  a  murderer!" 

Miss  Askwitch  continued:  • 

"Then  Policeman  Phillips  testified  that  he  entered 
Saloon  No.  23,  after  he  heard  a  shot,  and  found  that 
wretch,  Alvin  Berry,  standing  over  the  dead  body  of 
my  poor  Albert,  a  pistol  on  the  floor  and  the  room  in 
the  greatest  disorder!" 

Henrietta  arose  on  her  elbow  again  and  whispered: 

"She  calls  Alvin  a  wretch!" 

"Then  that  cowardly  villain,  Alvin  Berry,  was  put 
on  the  stand  by  Lawyer  Wisdom  to  tell  his  story  in 
defense,  which,  of  course,  was  all  a  pack  of  lies  and 
made  up,"  said  Miss  Askwitch. 

"What  did  Captain  Berry  say?"  asked  Mrs.  Bowink. 

"I  heard  it!  Let  me  tell  it!"  exclaimed  Lucy  Hur- 
ryup,  interrupting,  as  she  went  on: 

"The  villain  said  that  Albert  Luxy  entered  his  saloon 
when  it  was  closed,  at  five  minutes  before  twelve 
o'clock,  and  he  ordered  him  out  of  the  place;  that 
Albert  drew  a  revolver,  took  hold  of  him  and  in  a 
struggle  the  revolver  dropped  to  the  floor.  He  says 
he  threw  Luxy  to  the  ground  four  times  and  the  last 
time  Albert  got  hold  of  the  revolver  and  tried  to  shoot 
him;  but,  in  the  struggle  on  the  floor,  missed  him  and 
shot  himself. 

"Did  you  ever  hear  such  a  pack  of  infamous  lies? 
But  never  mind!  Now,  listen,  Mrs.  Bowink  I  You  must 
not  tell,  for  we  promised  Lawyer  Appeal  we  would 
keep  secret  what  he  told  us  the  other  day.  He  said: 

"  'I  am  sure  of  convicting  Captain  Berry  of  murder 
and  he  will  hang!'" 

Henrietta  arose  on  her  elbow  again  and  exclaimed 
to  herself  with  wild  eyes,  almost  getting  out  of  bed: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  169 

"Convict  Alvin  of  murder  and  he  will  hang!" 

Lucy  went  on: 

"He  also  said:  'Alvin  Berry  has  no  witness  in  his 
favor  and  the  evidence  is  all  against  him,  and  I  am 
sure  I  can  convict  him  to  be  hung  by  Saturday!'  Is 
not  that  glorious?  Glorious!"  and  Lucy  fairly  laughed. 

"Why,  how  can  you  be  so  unfeeling  and  cruel?" 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Bowink,  shuddering  and  holding  her 
hands  to  her  eyes,  "you  talk  about  hanging  Captain 
Berry  with  as  little  compunction  as  you  would  a  cat! 
Have  you  no  humanity?" 

Lucy  answered: 

"I  would  hang  the  brute  sooner  than  I  would  a  dog 
or  cat!" 

"So  would  I!"  chimed  in  Miss  Askwitch.  "Tomorrow 
morning  will  be  the  most  important  day  and  I  guess 
then  our  dear  Captain  Murderer  Berry  will  get  his 
quietus!" 

Henrietta  arose  in  her  bed  again  and  exclaimed  in 
a  whisper:  "Alvin  get  his  quietus!"  and  sank  down 
again. 

The  door  bell  downstairs  at  that  moment  rang  and 
Miss  Askwitch  went  to  see  what  it  was.  She  soon 
returned  with  a  bundle  and  remarked  to  the  other 
women: 

"It  is  only  another  mourning  dress  and  veil,  I 
ordered  yesterday.  I  really  do  not  need  it,  but  ordered 
it  anyhow.  There's  plenty  of  room  in  Henrietta's 
closet,  so  I  will  just  put  it  in  there  for  the  present." 

Henrietta  heard  her  coming  and  pretended  to  be 
asleep.  Miss  Askwitch  went  softly  to  her  closet,  left 
the  bundle  and  returned  to  the  other  room,  saying: 

"We  are  going  to  the  trial  tomorrow  morning,  Mrs. 
'Bowink,  will  you  go  with  us?  Everybody  is  going 
to  be  there  to  see  that  wretch  convicted.  The  Doctor 
says  that  Henrietta  is  well  enough  now  to  do  without 
a  trained  nurse  and  that  her  maid  can  look  after  her, 
if  she  will  only  keep  in  bed." 


170  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"I  guess  I  will  go,"  said  Mrs.  Bowink. 

The  Court  Room  was  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity, 
Judge  Elmira  Sims  was  on  the  bench,  the  counsels  for 
the  Prosecution  and  Defense  were  ready,  the  Jurymen 
in  their  seats  and  Captain  Alvin  Berry,  the  prisoner, 
sat  with  his  Attorney,  I.  C.  Wisdom,  and  his  father, 
Colonel  Berry. 

"If  it  please  Your  Honor,  I  will  now  cross-examine 
the  prisoner,  Captain  Alvin  Berry,  who  will  take  the 
stand!"  exclaimed  I.  L.  Appeal,  Prosecuting  Attorney. 

Alvin  Berry  left  the  side  of  his  father,  who  anx 
iously  looked  after  him,  took  the  stand  and  calmly 
looked  at  The  Prosecuting  Attorney,  who  began: 

"Captain  Berry,  you  said  in  your  testimony,  yes 
terday,  that  you  and  the  late  Albert  Luxy  had  a  struggle 
and,  during  that  struggle,  he  shot  and  killed  himself?" 

"Yes,  Sir,  that  is  what  I  said,"  answered  Alvin, 
deliberately. 

"Now,  Captain,  do  you  not  know  that  thousands  of 
cold-blooded  murderers  have  made  that  same  plea  in 
the  past  to  free  themselves?  How  can  you  say  there, 
before  God  and  man,  that  you  did  not  shoot  down 
Albert  Luxy?"  exclaimed  Lawyer  Appeal  in  a  brow 
beating  manner. 

"Easily  enough,"  answered  Alvin,  "because  it  is 
true." 

"I  rest,"  said  The  Prosecuting  Attorney,  and  he 
turned  to  the  large  table  in  a  confident  manner  and 
commenced  to  arrange  his  papers  with  a  view  to  address 
the  jury;  while  Alvin  left  the  witness  chair  and  returned 
to  the  seat  by  his  father. 

At  that  moment  a  female  figure,  heavily  dressed  in 
black,  with  a  long  veil,  pushed  herself  forward  inside 
the  railing  and  stood  before  The  Judge,  who  looked 
at  her  in  astonishment.  She  held  up  her  hand  to  him 
and  threw  back  her  veil. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  171 

The  Judge  knew  that  beautiful  face,  for  had  he  not 
heard  her — spell-bound — entrancing  singing,  and  he  said 
considerately:  "Speak,  Miss  Ashcraftl"  and  in  a  moment 
the  whole  Court  Room  was  in  excitement,  whispering: 
Henrietta  Ashcraft!  Henrietta  Ashcraft!"  and  then  bent 
forward  to  hear  what  she  would  say.  Alvin  felt  like 
rushing  to  her  and  putting  his  arms  around  her. 

Henrietta  timidly  looked   at  Judge   Sims   and  said: 

"If  you  will  allow  me,  I  have  some  important  infor 
mation  and  would  like  to  testify  for  the  Defendant." 

Instantly  the  whole  Court  Room  was  in  excitement 
again.  A  large  number  of  Prohibitionists  was  filled 
with  consternation  and  the  partisans  of  The  Berrys 
were  filled  with  joy,  to  think  that  aid  had  come  to 
Alvin  when  so  hard  pressed. 

Lucy  Hurryup  fairly  hissed,  as  she  turned  to  Miss 
Askwitch  and  exclaimed: 

"How  dares  she  to  come  here,  out  of  a  sick  bed  and 
go  against  her  own  father's  side!  She  knows  nothing 
about  the  case,  anyhow  1" 

"And  to  think  she  has  on  my  new  mourning  dress  1" 
replied  Miss  Askwitch. 

The  Prosecuting  Attorney  looked  at  Henrietta  with 
vindictive,  glaring  eyes  and  Attorney  Wisdom  hastened 
to  her  side. 

"Do  you  say  you  wish  to  testify  for  the  Defendant, 
Miss  Ashcraft?"  asked  Judge  Elmira  Sims  with  a  smile. 

"Yes,  Sir;  if  you  please,"  answered  Henrietta. 

"Mr.  Wisdom,  take  your  witness  into  one  of  the 
adjoining  rooms  for  a  reasonable  time  and,  in  the  mean 
time,  The  Court  will  await  your  return." 

Lawyer  Wisdom  conducted  Henrietta  to  one  of  the 
side  rooms  of  The  Court  and  consulted  with  her. 

A  sudden  calm  of  rest  and  peace  came  into  Alvin's 
heart  and  soul,  now,  since  he  saw  Henrietta;  whereas 
a  few  moments  before  his  being  seemed  to  be  like  a 
tempest  swept  vessel,  about  to  go  down. 


172  COLONEL   BERRY'S   CHALLENGE 

Colonel  Berry  gripped  his  :son's  hand  with  confi 
dence  and  a  new  light  came  into  his  eye.  Alvin  glanced 
around  the  Court  Room  and  noticed  the  expressions  in 
-the  faces  of  some  of  The  Prohibitionists. 

Lucy  Hurryup  reminded  him  of  a  Tigress  about  to 
spring,  but  hesitated;  Rev.  Nostir  looked  like,  "I  would 
like  to  do  you  all  the  damage  I  can,  but  will  have  to 
-quote  Scripture  first,  and  The  Prosecuting  Attorney, 
-as  he  moved  around  the  Court  room,  seemed  like  a 
snarling  wolf,  which  expected  to  get  a  gunshot  at  any 
moment. 

In  a  few  moments  Lawyer  Wisdom  returned  with 
.Henrietta  and  said: 

"Your  Honor,  I  would  like  to  put  Miss  Henrietta 
Ashcraft  on  the  stand  as  witness  for  the  Defendant!" 
;and  he  escorted  her  to  the  witness  chair. 

Just  then  Major  Ashcraft  was  seen  to  push  himself 
up  to  the  railing  and  get  as  near  to  his  daughter  as 
he  could.  There  was  an  intense  look  of  affection  and 
fear  on  his  face,  as  he  looked  at  her. 

As  Henrietta  modestly  took  a  seat,  her  classic  face 
and  features,  with  the  mourning  dress  headgear  as  a 
.background,  looked  exceedingly  beautiful  to  all  the 
Court,  and  the  fact  that  she  was  a  little  pale,  from  her 
illness, .made  her  more  statuesque. 

"Is  she  not  lovely!  Is  she  not  an  angel!"  thought 
Alvin,  as  his  eyes  devoured  her. 

Speaking  very  courteously  to  Henrietta,  Lawyer  Wis 
dom  asked:  "Miss  Ashcraft,  how  long  have  you  lived 
:here?"  "Since  I  was  born,"  answered  Henrietta,  a 
little  timidly,  as  she  lifted  her  beautiful  eyes  and  turned 
them  on  her  questioner. 

"Do  you  know  the  Defendant,  Captain  Alvin  Berry? 
and,  if  you  do,  tell  the  Jury  how  long  you  have  known 
him,"  again  questioned  Lawyer  Wisdom. 
;  It  seemed  a  little  difficult  for  Henrietta  to  get  her 
answer  out  and  Alvin  thought  her  lips  quivered  a  little 
as  she  said: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S   CHALLENGE  173 

"I  have  known  ;him  all  my  life,  since  childhood." 

Lawyer  Wisdom:  "Where  did  you  last  see  Captain 
Berry?" 

Henrietta  Ashcraft:  "In  Berry  Saloon,  No.  23,  on 
the  night  Albert  Luxy  was  killed." 

A  look  of  surprise  and  consternation  came  over  the 
faces  of  all  The  Prohibitionists,  which  was  shared  by 
Major  Ashcraft;  but  everything  was  so  still  it  seemed 
as  if  one  might  hear  a  pin  dropped. 

Lawyer  Wisdom:  "Where  were  you  situated  on  that 
night?" 

Henrietta  Ashcraft:  "In  a  room  over  the  saloon, 
trying  to  nurse  a  lame  boy  by  the  name  of  'Crutches/ 
who  died  while  I  was  there." 

Everybody  in  the  Court  Room  looked  at  each  other 
with  wonder  and  The  Judge  could  not  keep  his  eyes 
off  from  Henrietta's  beautiful  face  as  she  spoke.  The 
faces  of  The  Prohibitionists  fell.  In  the  most  cour 
teous  and  persuasive  voice  the  attorney  went  on  ques 
tioning  her. 

Lawyer  Wisdom:  "Now,  Miss  Henrietta,  will  you 
not  please  tell  us  how  you  happened  to  be  there  that 
night  and  what  you  saw  while  there? 

"Take  your  time  and  do  not  be  afraid,  for  we  are 
all  your  friends."  •  •« 

Henrietta  commenced  a  little  timidly,  but  soon  spoke 
distinctly  with  her  soft,  musical  voice,  so  that  everyone 
of  the  quiet  and  astonished  listeners  in  the  Court  Room 
could  hear.  Sometimes  she  looked  at  Lawyer  Wisdom; 
sometimes  at  the  Judge,  and  sometimes  at  the  Jury;  but 
not  at  Alvin. 

She  told  how  she  was  coming  home  from  the  party 
in  her  carriage  and  how  she  heard  the  boy  crying  in 
the  road.  Then  how  she  and  John,  the  coachman,  had 
gone  to  "Crutches'"  room;  how  she  had  sent  him  after 
The  Doctor  (he  and  the  boy  to  be  killed  on  the  way); 
how  she,  through  a  crack  in  the  floor,  could  see  Alvin 


174  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

and  Briggs  below,  working  bn  some  accounts,  and  how 
Briggs  went  home. 

Then  she  told  how  Albert  Luxy  came  in  and  tried 
to  arrest  Alvin;  the  struggle  that  took  place  and  death 
of  Luxy. 

Lawyer  Wisdom:  "Did  you  see  Captain  Berry  have 
the  revolver  or  a  revolver  in  his  hand  that  night?" 

Henrietta   answered  slowly  and  with  emphasis. 

Henrietta  Ashcraft:  "Captain  Berry  never  had  any 
revolver  in  his  hand  that  night,  for  I  saw  the  whole 
struggle!" 

A  brightness  came  into  the  eyes  of  The  Judge;  the 
Jury  smiled  as  much  as  they  dared  and  Colonel  Berry 
squeezed  his  son's  arm  tightly. 

Turning  to  Lawyer  Appeal,  Lawyer  Wisdom 
exclaimed: 

"Take  the  witness!"  and  the  latter  commenced  to 
question  Henrietta. 

Lawyer  Appeal:  "You  say,  Miss  Ashcraft,  that  you 
saw  the  whole  struggle.  How  was  it  possible  for  you 
to  see  all  that  through  a  small  crack  in  the  floor,  when 
the  two  men  were  wrestling  and  tumbling  in  every 
direction?" 

Henrietta  Ashcraft:  "It  was  not  a  small  crack;  it 
was  a  large  crack.  I  was  right  above  them  and  my 
eyes  had  command  of  the  whole  saloon!" 

Lawyer  Appeal:  "Now,  Miss  Ashcraft,  how  could 
you  see,  when  Captain  Berry  had  Albert  Luxy  down, 
under  him,  during  the  last  moments  of  the  struggle 
and  their  heads  and  bodies  were  so  close  together, 
whether  Captain  Berry  took  the  revolver  away  from 
Luxy,  shot  him  and  dropped  the  revolver  on  the  floor?" 

Henrietta  Ashcraft:  "That  could  not  be  so,  because 
when  Captain  Berry  got  up  and  stood  over  Albert 
Luxy's  form,  Albert  still  had  the  smoking  revolver  in 
his  grasp,  which  he  held  a  few  moments  and  then  it 
fell  from  his  hand  to  the  floor!" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  175 

The  Prosecuting  Attorney  turned  away  crestfallen 
and  the  witness  was  excused.  The  eyes  of  everybody 
were  fastened  on  the  beautiful  woman,  who  seemed 
to  sway  in  the  chair,  as  she  tried  to  rise,  and  suddenly 
fell  backwards  in  a  faint.  One  of  the  Bailiffs,  standing 
near  the  witness  chair,  caught  her  in  his  arms  and 
there  was  great  commotion  in  the  Court  Room. 

Major  Ashcraft  rushed  behind  the  railing  and  put 
his  arms  around  Henrietta  and  even  The  Judge  arose 
and  came  off  the  bench  to  assist. 

Alvin  rushed  to  her  side,  also,  but  one  of  the  Bailiffs 
took  him  back  to  his  seat,  as  Dr.  Biddle  made  his 
appearance.  The  Doctor  ordered  her  to  be  carried 
downstairs,  put  in  her  carriage,  taken  home  imme 
diately  and  put  to  bed. 

That  afternoon  the  Jury  brought  in  a  verdict.  The 
foreman  got  up  and  said: 

"Your  Honor,  we  find  the  Defendant,  Captain  Alvin 
Berry — Not  Guilty,  and  that  the  deceased,  Albert  Luxy, 
came  to  his  death  from  a  pistol  shot,  inflicted  by  his 
own  hand." 

Captain  Alvin  Berry  was  released  and  that  night 
The  Berry  Zouaves  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm  car 
ried  him  all  over  the  town  on  their  shoulders. 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

It  was  late  at  night  and  Snickuls  was  returning  from 
one  of  his  wandering  tours  through  the  country  to 
The  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club. 

Entering  from  the  back,  among  the  ruins,  he  was 
cautions — more  than  usually  so — for  he  heard  low 
voices  in  the  darkness.  Crouching  down  among  the 
burnt  timbers  and  bricks  he  listened  intently  and  heard 
a  voice  say: 

"We  have  done  just  what  you  said,  Mr.  Vanski." 

"Well,  I  am  glad  of  that;  but  I  am  not  going  to 
wait  any  longer  on  this  damned  aristocrat — Ashcraft — 
and  we  will  now  drive  him  to  the  wall.  Tomorrow 


176  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

you  put  out  the  pickets  around  all  his  factories  and, 
if  any  of  the  new  men  he  has  brought  here  will  not 
keep  out,  slug  them,"  said  Vanski. 

"All  right,  Mr.  Vanski;  but  suppose  the  police  come 
down  on  us?"  said  the  first  man. 

Vanski  answered:  "You  must  have  enough  men 
within  call  to  defy  the  police.  You  see  we  will  have 
at  least  one  thousand  men  on  strike  and  what  can  a 
hundred  or  two  police  do  to  us?  And  if  they  do  arrest 
a  few,  I  have  already  retained  Lawyer  Appeal  to  give 
bond  and  defend  them. 

"I  want  you  to  pay  particular  attention  to  having 
someone  at  each  factory  to  march  up  and  down  before 
the  entrance  with  a  sign.  Put  on  the  signs: 

"This  Factory  is  Unfair  to  Organized  Labor! 
"Strike  Going  On!    Keep  Out!" 

"All  right,  Mr.  Vanski,  I  understand,"  said  first  man. 

Vanski  continued: 

"Now  Ashcraft  may  try  to  stop  you;  but,  if  he  does, 
our  Lawyer  Appeal  will  protect  you  and  I  will  go  to 
Court  with  him  in  your  behalf.  This  scheme  has 
worked  very  well  in  other  large  cities  and  I  think  it 
will  here!" 

"Yes,"  said  the  first  man,  "what  does  one  man's 
life  count  for  when  it  stands  in  the  way  of  organized 
labor?  Just  think  of  the  Nobility  of  Labor! 

"The  property  of  Ashcraft  belongs  to  us  anyhow. 
Our  labor  made  his  fortune  and  his  property  and  all 
he  did  was  to  stand  there  and  boss!" 

"That's  true,"  said  Vanski,  "and  now  we  are  going 
to  take  what  belongs  to  us  away  from  him. 

"Well,  I  am  getting  sleepy  and  must  go  to  bed.  Be 
sure  to  do  just  what  I  told  you,  tomorrow,  and  there 
will  be  Hell  Fire  to  pay  in  a  few  days,  unless  Ashcraft 
comes  to  our  terms.  Good  night." 

Snickuls  heard  the  footsteps  of  the  two  men  depart 
in  different  directions  and  he  hastened  into  The  Snick 
uls  and  Tommy  Club,  where,  sitting  at  the  large  table 


177 


he  wrote  a  letter;  then  putting  out  the  light  he  went 
out  quickly  and  in  a  few  moments  dropped  it  into  a 
letter  box  on  the  corner.  Next  morning  Major  Ashcraft 
was  just  coming  out  of  his  front  door,  to  go  down 
town,  when  the  postman  handed  him  a  letter.  He 
opened  it  and  read: 

"Major  Ashcraft,  Vanski,  the  Labor  Leader,  has  just 
given  orders  to  the  strikers  to  drive  you  to  the  wall. 

"He  has  gone  so  far  as  to  tell  them,  if  they  have 
to  do  it,  to  win,  even  to  burn  your  factories  down  and 
to  kill  you.  Look  out!" 

The  Major  gave  a  start,  as  he  finished  the  letter, 
and  stood  in  a  rigid  position  for  a  moment,  then  went 
into  his  Library  and  wrote  a  note.     It  read: 
"Dear  Mayor  Homer: 

"I  have  just  received  private  word  that  the  strikers 
are  about  to  resort  to  violent  aggressive  tactics  against 
my  person  and  property. 

"As  I  have  to  go  down-town  to  look  after  my  vast 
interests  and  do  not  think  it  safe,  without  protection, 
to  do  so,  please  send  me  a  couple  of  detectives  on 
horseback  to  be  my  escort. 

"If  you  will  do  so,  it  will  oblige 
"Your  friend, 

"MAJOR  ASHCRAFT." 

Calling  a  servant  The  Major  sent  him  in  haste  down 
to  The  City  Hall.  In  about  an  hour  two  heavily  built, 
determined-looking  "plain  clothes"  men  rode  a  short 
distance  from  The  Major's  carriage,  as  he  left  his  gate 
and  went  down-town,  who  stopped  at  Temple  Court 
and  stepped  into  the  law  office  of  I.  C.  Wisdom. 

The  latter  welcomed  him  as  he  entered  and  took 
his  hand.  The  Major  said:  "Mr.  Wisdom,  you  have 
never  done  any  legal  business  for  me,  but  I  would 
like  to  retain  you  to  help  me  in  my  fight  against  the 
strikers  in  my  factories,  whom  I  expect,  in  a  few  days, 
to  give  me  great  trouble!" 


178  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

The  Lawyer  made  The  Major  take  a  seat  and  said: 
"I  am  glad  to  be  of  service  to  you,  not  only  for  your 
own  sake,  Major,  but  especially  as  you  are  the  father 
of  so  magnificent  a  daughter,  whom  I  had  as  a  witness 
last  week." 

The  Major  blushed  with  pride  and  replied: 

"Oh,  I  thank  you!" 

"How  is  Miss  Henrietta,  now,  Major?"  asked  the 
lawyer. 

The  Major  answered:  "Why,  she  is  almost  as  well 
as  she  ever  was.  Much  to  our  surprise,  after  her 
fainting  spell  in  Court,  she  seemed  to  improve  very 
rapidly." 

Taking  the  letter  out  of  his  pocket  The  Major  showed 
Lawyer  Wisdom  what  he  had  to  expect  soon  from  the 
strikers. 

"Come  with  me,  Major,"  said  the  lawyer,  rising,  "and 
we  will  go  over  to  the  Court  House  and  see  Judge 
Elmira  Sims  and  have  a  talk  with  him." 

The  Judge  was  alone  in  his  offices  and  received  the 
two  gentlemen  very  courteously  and  cordially.  Lawyer 
Wisdom  showed  him  the  warning  letter  received  by 
Major  Ashcraft  and  called  the  attention  of  The  Judge 
to  the  fact  that  Major  Ashcraft,  not  long  since,  had 
been  attacked  and  seriously  hurt,  personally,  by  the 
strikers. 

The  Judge  said:  "Well,  Mr.  Wisdom,  you  know  I 
cannot  do  anything  officially,-  unless  you  present  it  to 
me  in  a  legal  way.  If  you  will  bring  me  the  papers,  I 
will  look  over  them  and  grant  you  an  injunction  against 
the  strikers  and  all  concerned  with  them,  if  they  are 
in  order,  which  I  have  no  doubt  they  will  be." 

"Thank  you,  Judge,  I  will  make  out  the  papers  imme 
diately,"  replied  Lawyer  Wisdom  and  he  and  Major 
Ashcraft  left  The  Judge's  offices. 

As  they  passed  into  the  large  Court  Houss  hall,  the 
lawyer's  keen  eye  not  only  saw  the  two  detectives 
waiting  for  them,  but  several  sinister-looking,  coarse 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  179 

men  eyeing  them  closely.     He  spoke  to  The  Major  in 
a  low  voice  and  said: 

"Do  not  look  around,  Major,  but  keep  a  lookout,  for 
several  of  the  strikers  are  following  us  now!" 

The  two  gentlemen  walked  rapidly  to  The  Mayor's 
office,  knocked  at  the  door  and  were  admitted  by  Mayor 
Homer  himself.  They  showed  him  the  same  letter  that 
they  showed  The  Judge  and  Major  Ashcraft  said: 

"Mayor,  I  would  like  for  you  to  give  me  permission 
to  carry  arms  to  protect  myself,"  to  which  The  Mayor 
assented  and,  after  requesting  further  police  protection 
for  his  property,  lawyer  and  client  departed  and  sep 
arated. 

As  Lawyer  Wisdom  entered  Temple  Bar,  he  saw 
just  ahead  of  him  one  of  the  rough-looking  men,  whom 
he  told  The  Major  was  following  them.  He  slowly 
followed  these  men  and  saw  them  go  into  Lawyer 
Appeal's  office. 

"I  thought  so;  now  for  the  injunction  papers!" 
exclaimed  Lawyer  Wisdom,  who  went  to  his  own  office 
and  started  immediately  to  writing. 

In  a  few  moments  Major  Ashcraft  entered  and 
exclaimed  excitedly: 

"They  have  men  with  signs,  marching  up  and  down 
before  the  door  of  everyone  of  my  factories!"  "What 
do  the  signs  say?"  asked  the  lawyer. 

"This  Factory  is  Unfair  to   Organized  Labor! 

"Strike  Going  On!    Keep  Out!" 
answered  The  Major,  and  continued: 

"Not  only  that,  but  they  have  men  stationed  on  every 
corner,  near  my  factories,  who  buttonhole  my  new 
employees  and  endeavor  to  get  them  to  quit,  a  large 
number  of  whom  have  quit  already!  Several  men, 
who  are  faithful  to  me,  told  me  that  when  the  strikers 
heard  them  say  they  did  not  want  to  quit,  they  were 
attacked,  two  of  them  knocked  down  and  one  badly 
beaten!" 

Lawyer  Wisdom  said: 


180 

"I  am  glad  you  told  me  this,  for  I  am  making  out 
the  Injunction  Papers  now,  for  The  Judge  to  sign.  If 
you  can  bring  me  the  man  who  was  beaten  up,  I  will 
take  him  and  show  him  to  The  Judge." 

The  Major  went  to  the  door,  where  the  two  detec 
tives  were  waiting,  called  one  in  and  whispered  to  him, 
who  went  out  hurriedly.  In  about  half  an  hour  he 
returned  with  a  workman,  who  had  a  bandage  around 
his  head,  which  covered  up  one  eye,  one  arm  in  a 
sling  and  he  limped  badly. 

"I  am  ready,  now,  and  we  will  go  to  Judge  Elmira 
Sims,  sitting  In  Chambers!"  exclaimed  Lawyer  Wisdom, 
and  they  followed  him  to  the  Court  House  and  to 
Judge  Elmira  Sims'  offices. 

When  they  were  admitted  to  Judge  Sims'  presence, 
there  stood  Lawyer  Appeal  before  them  and  a  man 
with  him,  who  proved  to  be  Vanski. 

"Lawyer  Appeal  handed  The  Judge  some  papers  and 
said: 

"Your  Honor,  we  desire  an  Injunction  issued  against 
The  Mayor  and  Police  Department  for  infringing  on 
the  Constitutional  rights  of  workmen  to  assemble  peace 
fully  on  the  corners  of  the  streets  and  elsewhere  and 
converse  with  their  fellow  workmen,  and  also  for 
infringing  on  their  right  to  carry  printed  signs  on  the 
street,  which  The  Constitution  guarantees,  under  an 
article  in  favor  of  Freedom  of  Speech  and  The  Press." 

The  Judge  looked  up,  saw  Lawyer  Wisdom  and  his 
party  approaching,  and  said: 

"And,  Mr.  Wisdom,  what  have  you  to  present?" 

Lawyer  Wisdom  opened  the  roll  in  his  hand  and 
answered: 

"Your  Honor,  I  am  here  to  ask  for  an  Injunction 
against  the  Strikers'  Union,  Mr.  Vanski.  their  leader, 
and  the  strikers,  individually,  and  all  concerned, 
restraining  them  from  acts  of  intimidation,  disorderly 
conduct,  breaches  of  the  peace  and  destruction  of  prop 
erty  at  or  near  The  Ashcraft  Shoe  Manufactories. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  181 

"Having  heard  the  last  part  of  Mr.  Appeal's  remarks, 
who  represents  the  strikers,  and  myself  being  the  Coun 
sel  for  The  Mayor  and  Mr.  Ashcraft,  in  this  trouble,  I 
-propose  to  argue  the  matter  out,  now!" 

The  Judge  replied: 

"Proceed,  gentlemen!" 

Lawyer  Appeal  made  quite  a  speech  in  favor  of 
liberty  of  action  and  of  speech,  under  The  Constitution, 
to  which  Lawyer  Wisdom  answered  thus: 

"Liberty  of  action  does  not  mean  license  of  action. 
Usually  several  men  can  talk  together  on  street  corners 
and  it  will  be  harmless  and  legal;  but  if  talking  together 
draws  too  big  a  crowd,  occasions  violence,  disorderly 
conduct,  assault  and  battery  and  obstruction  of  traffic, 
all  of  which  the  strikers  are  guilty  of,  then  it  is  illegal! 

"Your  Honor,  this  man  by  my  side,  who  has  just 
been  knocked  down  and  beaten  by  these  strikers,  or 
'pickets,'  on  the  corner,  because  he  stated  that  he  did 
not  want  to  strike,  but  wanted  to  work  in  one  of  The 
Ashcraft  Shoe  Factories,  is  an  example  of  how  the 
strikers  are  breaking  the  law,  and  I  would  also  call 
your  attention,  Your  Honor,  to  Major  Ashcraft,  him 
self,  whom  these  same  strikers  attacked,  knocked  down 
with  sticks  and  attempted  to  take  his  life.  As  to  carry 
ing  Signs,  that  is  also  a  harmless  and  legal  act,  usually; 
but  when  it  is  evidently  done  to  injure  a  respectable 
citizen;  to  cripple  and  injure  a  great  industry;  to  cause 
suffering  and  distress  untold — which  it  is  one  of  the 
means  of  doing — then  the  carrying  of  Signs  or  Banners, 
before  the  door  of  a  factory  is  illegal,  Your  Honor!" 

Vanski  squirmed  and  Lawyer  Appeal  balanced  him 
self  from  one  foot  to  the  other,  saying,  as  he  opened 
a  law  book: 

"I  wish  to  read  Your  Honor  decisions  made  by  cer 
tain  Judges,  permitting  'picketing'  and  carrying  Signs 
before  buildings." 

He  read  the  decisions  and  Judge  Elmira  Sims 
replied: 


182  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"I  do  not  agree  with  those  decisions  and  they  do 
not  go  in  this  Court! 

"The  reprehensibility  of  an  act  depends  upon  the 
intent  of  the  actor,  and  the  province  of  The  Judge,  the 
jury  and  all  of  The  Court  is  to  find  out  the  intent  of 
an  act. 

"For  instance,  in  a  murder  trial,  we  have  to  con 
sider  the  Constitutional  right  of  a  man  to  bear  arms 
and  to  shoot  off  a  gun;  but  if,  in  shooting  off  that  gun, 
he  kills  another  man,  we  have  got  to  consider  whether 
the  killing  was  intentional  or  unintentional. 

"If  it  was  done  unintentionally  the  man  is  held — 
Not  Guilty;  but,  if  the  act  is  done  with  malice  and 
intentionally,  then  the  man  is  Guilty  of  Murder.  So 
it  is  with  'picketing'  and  carrying  Signs  or  Banners. 
In  the  present  case  there  is  no  question  about  the 
malicious  intent,  and  therefore  the  illegality  of  the 
strikers'  proceedings,  and  I  so  decide.  Mr.  Appeal,  I 
deny  your  request  for  an  Injunction,  and,  Mr.  Wisdom, 
I  grant  your  Injunction." 

The   Judge   handed   to   Lawyer  Appeal   his   papers, 
who,  with  Vanski,  sullenly  left  the  room,  and,  taking 
a  pen  from  his  desk,  signed  Lawyer  Wisdom's  Injunc 
tion  and  handed  it  to  him. 
********* 

The  Chief  of  Police,  Murray,  came  out  of  The 
Mayor's  private  office  very  much  excited.  He  had  a 
handkerchief  to  his  cheek,  which  was  covered  with 
blood.  It  came  from  a  wound,  just  made  by  the  strikers, 
when  he  tried  to  clear  the  streets. 

"It  is  no  use,  Mayor,  for  there  is  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  one  thousand  strikers  and  our  police  force  is 
not  large  enough  to  grapple  with  them! 

"They  are  throwing  stones,  off  from  most  every 
building  that  we  go  by,  on  us.  Two  of  my  men  are 
dead  and  a  dozen  wounded.  They  have  barricaded  and 
blockaded  the  streets  and  fortified  the  factories,  and 
many  of  them  have  firearms.  A  letter  came  to  me, 


183 

unsigned,  saying  that  if  we  get  too  smart  they  will 
burn  down  all  The  Ashcraft  Factories  and  maybe  the 
rest  of  the  town!"  said  The  Chief. 

"What  shall  we  do?"  asked  Mayor  Homer,  turning 
very  pale. 

"Come  over  to  The  Court  House  and  we  will  see 
Judge  Elmira  Sims!"  answered  The  Chief. 

They  found  The  Judge,  sitting  on  the  bench  in  the 
large  Court  Room,  though  The  Court  was  not  in  ses 
sion,  Lawyer  Wisdom  and  Major  Ashcraft  standing  near 
and  The  Sheriff  of  The  County  with  several  deputies 
and  Court  Bailiffs  a  short  distance  away. 

The  Mayor  walked  up  near  to  The  Judge  and  said: 
"Your  Honor,  The  Chief  of  Police  reports  he  cannot 
maintain  order  in  the  city,  for  the  strikers  are  too 
strong.  They  have  killed  two  policemen  and  wounded 
twelve!" 

All  the  men  in  the  room  gathered  near  and  The 
Chief  told  the  turbulent  state  the  town  was  in.  The 
Judge  turned  to  The  Sheriff  and  asked  him,  from  the 
bench: 

"Can  you  grapple  with  the  matter,  Sheriff?"  who 
answered: 

"Not  if  they  are  barricaded,  fortified  and  bear  arms, 
Your  Honor." 

"I  know  who  can  grapple  with  and  control  the  situ 
ation,  Your  Honor!"  exclaimed  Lawyer  Wisdom. 

"Who  is  it  and  how  can  it  be  done?"  asked  The 
Judge. 

"Colonel  Berry!"  answered  the  lawyer,  and  the  faces 
of  all  present  brightened  up;  but  Major  Ashcraft  turned 
away  a  moment  and  looked  out  the  window. 

The  lawyer  continued:  "If  The  Sheriff  will  call  on 
Colonel  Berry  I  think  he  will  act,  and  order  Captain 
Berry  and  The  Berry  Zouaves  to  put  down  the  strike!" 

"That  will  be  just  the  thing,"  said  The  Judge,  "and 
it  will  be  perfectly  legal.  I  will  write  a  note  to  The 
Colonel  and  The  Chief  of  Police  can  take  it." 


184  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

The  Judge  wrote  a  note  and  handed  it  to  Lawyer 
Wisdom,  who  passed  it  around  to  the  other  men  and 
it  stopped  in  the  hands  of  The  Chief  of  Police.     The 
note  read: 
"Colonel  Berry: 

"Myself,  The  Mayor,  Chief  of  Police,  Lawyer  Wis 
dom,  Major  Ashcraft,  The  Sheriff  and  others  are  assem 
bled  at  The  Court  House  in  conference  on  some  very 
important  public  business,  and  we  would  like  to  have 
the  pleasure  of  your  company  and  valuable  counsel. 
Can  you  come? 

''Your  friend, 

"JUDGE  ELMIRA  SIMS." 

The  Chief  went  out  and  in  about  half  an  hour 
returned  accompanied  by  The  Colonel. 

As  Colonel  Berry  approached  the  group  his  dis 
tinguished  bearing  and  presence  seemed  to  overshadow 
them  all.  The  Judge  left  the  bench  and  shook  hands 
with  him  and  The  Colonel  bowed  to  all  the  rest  in  the 
room  and  saluted  with  his  hand. 

After  The  Judge  had  resumed  his  seat,  he  said: 
"Colonel  Berry,  we  are  in  a  great  dilemma  and  as 
officials    we    do    not   know   what   to    do;    because    the 
strikers  at  The  Ashcraft  Factories  are  resorting  to  vio 
lence  and  defy  the  law. 

"The  Chief  of  Police  reports  that  his  force  is  too 
weak  to  grapple  with  them  and  that  they  have  killed 
two  of  his  men  and  wounded  twelve  others." 

Colonel  Berry's  form  straightened  and  flashes  came 
out  of  those  deep  eyes.  The  Judge  continued: 

"The  city  is  actually  in  distress,  Colonel,  and  we, 
as  officials  of  the  law,  know  of  no  one  here  who  can 
help  us,  unless  it  is  Colonel  Berry." 

The  Colonel  bent  his  head  and  body  in  a  slight  bow 
and  replied: 

"My  services  are  always  for  the  benefit  of  my  Coun 
try,  my  State  or  my  City,  Judge!  In  what  way  can  I 
be  of  service  to  their  officials?" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  185 

The  Judge  answered: 

"You  have  an  exceedingly  well  disciplined  body  of 
men  under  you,  Colonel  Berry,  and  we  would  like,  if 
possible,  to  have  you  compel  the  strikers  at  The  Ash- 
craft  Factories  to  refrain  from  violence,  to  disperse 
and  obey  the  laws.  Can  you  do  it  for  us,  Colonel?" 

Unassumingly  throwing  back  his  head  and  looking 
at  The  Judge  with  his  eagle  eyes,  The  Colonel  replied: 

"If  Judge  Elmira  Sims  and  The  Sheriff  request  and 
command  me,  I  will  obey  their  mandate!" 

"Good!"    said   The   Judge,   and   he    came   from    the 
bench   and  shook  The   Colonel's  hand  and   all   in   the 
room  did  the  same;  but  Major  Ashcraft  seemed  reluc 
tant. 
********* 

The  Armory  was  crowded  to  its  utmost  and  Colonel 
Berry  was  there.  He  was  dressed  in  full  uniform  and 
looked  every  inch  a  commander. 

Very  soon  the  bugle  sounded  out  the  call  to  arms 
and  every  man  sprang  to  his  place.  Suddenly  the 
clarion  tones  of  Captain  Berry  called  out: 

"Attention,  Company!"  and  the  Lieutenants  repeated 
the  order.  Then  came: 

"Fix  Bayonets!  Carry  Arms!  Present  Arms!  Right 
Shoulder  Arms!  Forward,  March!" 

As  The  Berry  Zouaves  made  their  exit  to  the  street, 
a  Battery  of  Artillery  pulled  up  in  front  of  them  and 
stopped. 

The  Ashcraft  Factories  were  in  another  part  of  the 
town  and  the  streets,  within  a  radius  of  four  or  five 
blocks,  were  barricaded  with  planks,  boxes,  timbers, 
carts  and  heavy  rocks  and  stones,  placed  there  by  the 
strikers,  who  congregated  behind  the  stockades,  listen 
ing  to  speeches,  made  by  their  leaders,  and  they  were 
yelling: 

"Down  with  the  'ristocrats!  Down  with  the  Trusts! 
Down  with  the  Money  Kings!" 


186  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Up  on  tops  of  the  houses,  for  several  blocks  from 
the  barricades,  men  could  be  seen  dodging  behind  chim 
neys  and  lying  down  on  the  roof,  trying  to  conceal 
heavy  stones,  shotguns,  rifles  and  other  instruments  of 
destruction. 

Vanski  was  behind  the  barricades,  stirring  up  the 
strikers  and  saying: 

"Hold  firm,  men,  and  we  will  make  the  Aristocrat 
robbers  of  our  daily  bread  bite  the  dust!"  Consulting 
with  The  Colonel,  Captain  Berry  gave  orders  that  two 
lines  of  soldier  pickets,  one  on  each  side  of  the  street, 
were  to  proceed  toward  the  danger  zone  slowly. 

He  then  sent  out  ahead  of  the  two  lines  six  men 
dressed  as  workmen,  armed  secretly  with  revolvers, 
who  were  to  look  up  at  the  tops  of  the  houses,  see 
what  houses  had  men  on  them  and  report  the  numbers 
of  the  houses,  which  numbers  were  handed  to  the  offi 
cers  of  the  two  picket  lines. 

The  two  lines  of  pickets  were  picked  as  the  best 
and  quickest  shots  among  The  Berry  Zouaves. 

The  soldiers  in  plain  clothes  went  forward  and 
soon  returned  toward  the  lines  of  soldier  pickets,  who 
stopped  and  took  the  numbers  of  the  houses. 

Advancing  cautiously,  one  line  on  each  side  of  the 
street,  with  guns  cocked  and  ready,  if  a  striker  on  a 
house  showed  the  least  part  of  his  body,  he  received 
a  volley  from  the  other  side  of  the  street.  Several 
men  tumbled  from  the  roof,  dead. 

When  the  soldiers  came  to  the  doors  of  the  houses 
having  strikers  on  top,  they  stopped.  Eight  of  their 
number  broke  down  the  door  and  with  bayonets  fixed 
ascended  to  the  roof,  where  they  made  a  quick  end 
of  those  there  who  showed  fight. 

The  soldiers  in  the  street  remained  on  guard  and, 
if  a  striker  was  seen  from  either  side  of  the  street, 
he  got  a  volley.  One  man  was  killed  of  four  who  were 
found  skulking  in  the  first  house,  and  the  other  three 
were  marched  downstairs  and  handed  over  to  the 


187 

police,    who   handcuffed   them,   put    them    in    a    wagon 
and  sent  them  to  the  County  Jail. 

Some  soldiers  were  left  on  the  top  of  the  first  house 
cleared  of  the  strikers,  whose  duty  was  to  shoot  at 
any  striker  seen  on  any  of  the  adjoining  buildings 
within  the  block. 

When  it  was  reported  to  Captain  Berry  that  the 
first  block  had  been  taken  in  this  way  and  the  strikers 
run  off  the  tops  of  and  out  of  the  houses,  he  brought 
up  the  balance  of  his  troops — The  Artillery  coming  last. 

All  of  the  blocks  were  soon  captured,  until  they 
came  to  the  one  where  the  strongest  barricade  was 
thrown  up,  behind  which  were  hundreds  of  yelling, 
cursing  men,  standing  in  all  kinds  of  threatening  atti 
tudes,  and  defying  anyone  to  attack  them. 

Their  barricade  was  strong  and  the  strikers  were 
armed  with  knives,  clubs,  cobblestones,  muskets,  shot 
guns  and  revolvers. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  block  where  they  were  bar 
ricaded,  the  strikers  began  to  fire  at  the  soldiers,  one 
of  whom  was  wounded,  and  Captain  Berry  ordered 
that  one  house  on  each  side  of  the  street  was  to  be 
captured,  which  The  Zouaves  did,  and,  firing  from  the 
tops  of  those  houses,  and  those  below  also,  they  soon 
cleared  the  tops  of  the  houses  on  that  block  of  fighting 
men  concealed  there. 

Then  The  Captain  ordered  The  Artillery  to  bring 
up  their  cannon  and  place  it  in  the  middle  of  the  street. 
In  a  few  moments  the  command  was  heard:  "Fire!" 

"Boom!"  went  the  cannon  and  the  splinters  were 
seen  to  fly  in  every  direction  at  the  great  barricade, 
and  fhe  muskets  of  The  Zouaves,  on  the  tops  of  the 
houses,  poured  volleys  in  the  direction  of  the  strikers. 

When  the  first  musket  balls  of  the  military  began 
to  whistle  over  the  barricade,  Vanski  disappeared;  but 
large  numbers  of  his  ignorant  followers  were  made 
of  sterner  stuff  and  prepared  for  a  stubborn  resistance. 


188  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

However,  when  a  real  shell  tore  through  the  barricade 
and  killed  five  of  them,  they  began  to  waver. 

"Load!"  rang  out  the  command  to  the  cannoneers, 
and  soon  again:  "Fire!" 

"Boom!"  went  the  cannon  again  and  it  made  such 
havoc  of  the  barricade  and  those  that  were  behind  it 
that  in  a  few  minutes  the  hundreds  of  strikers  were 
gone,  leaving  twenty  dead.  The  Berry  Zouaves  charged 
what  was  left  of  the  barricade,  but  found  no  one  there. 
Sword  in  hand,  Captain  Berry,  at  their  head,  hurried 
through  the  works  of  the  great  factories;  but  the 
strikers  had  scattered  in  every  direction.  Several  fires 
were  found  started  in  the  great  buildings,  but  the  sol 
diers  put  them  out. 

As  Colonel  Berry  rode  through  the  ruins  of  the 
barricade  among  his  soldiers  to  where  Captain  Berry 
was,  they  all  saluted  and  shouted: 

"Long  live  our  Colonel  and  Captain!" 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Miss  Askwitch  and  Mrs.  Bowink  sat  in  Major  Ash- 
craft's  comfortable  sitting  room  chatting  and  reading. 

Somehow  or  other  the  former  did  not  like  Mrs. 
Bowink  as  much  as  she  did  formerly.  She  dropped  in 
a  little  too  often  to  suit  Miss  Askwitch,  and  had  an  air 
of  superiority  and  authority  which  she  did  not  like. 

It  was  true,  she  thought,  that  Mrs.  Bowink  was  a 
very  wealthy  woman  and  everybody  showed  deference 
to  her  and  attention  on  that  account;  but  the  widow's 
air  to  her  was  quite  different  from  what  it  was  for 
merly,  which  she  could  not  understand. 

"Why,  come  in!  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you!"  exclaimed 
Miss  Askwitch,  arising  and  shaking  the  hand  of  Lucy 
Hurryup,  who  said: 

"I  have  just  dropped  in  a  moment!" 

Shaking  the  hand  of  Mrs.  Bowink,  who  did  not 
take  the  trouble  to  move,  the  President  of  The  W.  C. 
T.  U.  sat  herself  down. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  189 

"What  paper  is  that  you  have  brought  in  your 
hand?"  asked  Mrs.  Bowink  of  Lucy. 

The  rich  widow  had  a  sly  sense  of  humor  about 
her  and  liked  to  use  it  sometimes.  She  had  a  happy- 
go-easy  way,  generally,  and  took  the  world  as  it  is  and 
not  what  it  ought  to  be.  But  there  was  a  good  deal 
of  hidden  fire  and  nerve  about  the  plump  lady,  if  one 
observed  closely. 

To  her  question  Lucy  answered: 

"Oh,  that  is  The  Trumpet.  I  tried  to  get  The  Clarion, 
but  could  not  find  a  newsboy  who  had  one.'* 

"Let  me  see  it,  please,"  said  Mrs.  Bowink,  with  a 
twinkle  in  her  brown  eyes,  "I  want  to  see  the  account 
of  the  battle,  in  which  Colonel  Berry  whipped  the 
strikers  so  badly." 

"Whipped  the  strikers!"  exclaimed  Lucy,  turning  up 
her  nose  as  she  handed  the  widow  the  paper,  "anybody 
could  do  that  with  the  military!" 

"Yes,  if  my  poor  Albert  were  alive,  he  could  have 
done  it  better  than  that!"  uttered  Miss  Askwitch. 

Mrs.  Bowink  chuckled  inwardly  and  continued: 
"Well,  let  us  see  what  the  paper  says."  She  opened  it 
and  read  on  the  front  page: 


ABSOLUTE  PEACE  RESTORED. 


Strike  Ended. 

"The  City  of  Batesville  has  occasion  to  thank  Colonel 
and  Captain  Berry  for  ending  the  disastrous  strike 
in  the  great  Ashcraft  Factories,  which  threatened 
to  be  protracted  for  an  indefinite  time  and  to  destroy 
the  business  of  this  whole  region.  It  wras  a  few 
minutes  over  two  hours  and  one-half,  after  the 
bugle  called  to  arms  in  The  Armory,  when  Colonel 
Berry  had  the  strikers  whipped  and  scattered  in  every 
direction. 


190  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Especial  mention  is  due  to  Captain  Alvin  Berry  for 
the  masterly  way  he  handled  his  men,  who  moved  and 
acted  with  the  precision  and  bravery  of  veterans. 

"Major  Ashcraft  says  he  thinks  the  turbulent  strik 
ing  element  among  his  mills  is  completely  cowed,  now, 
and  he  will  resume  business  at  once. 

"We  say  again — All  thanks  to  Colonel  Berry!" 

Almost  unobserved  Henrietta  Ashcraft  entered  the 
room  and  stood  listening  to  Mrs.  Bowink  read. 

A  brightness  came  into  her  eyes  and  a  look  of 
pleasure  on  her  face,  as  a  deep  blush  overspread  her 
dimpled  cheeks. 

"Why,  you  could  not  expect  anything  but  praise 
for  The  Berrys  to  come  from  a  Whisky  paper!" 
exclaimed  Lucy,  when  the  widow  finished  reading. 

"Will  you  let  me  see  it?"  asked  Henrietta  of  Mrs. 
Bowink,  who  seemed  to  have  finished  with  it,  and  she 
handed  it  to  Henrietta. 

The  latter  continued:  "I  will  take  it  upstairs  to 
my  room  and  read  it,  if  there  is  no  objection,  and  then 
I  will  not  disturb  your  conversation,"  and  she  stepped 
out  of  the  room  and  went  upstairs.  Henrietta  locked 
her  bedroom  door,  sat  down  by  the  window  and  read 
and  reread  the  article  about  the  battle.  Then  she  folded 
up  the  paper,  went  to  the  center  table,  where  her 
mother's  picture  was,  sat  down,  pressed  the  paper  to 
her  bosom,  put  her  beautiful  head  on  the  table  by  her 
mother's  picture  and  with  a  smile  closed  her  eyes. 

Downstairs  the  three  women  were  conversing  on 
various  topics,  when  the  butler  announced: 

"Rev.  Nostir  and  Deacon  Going!" 

Miss  Askwitch  and  Lucy  Hurryup  hastily  arose  and 
welcomed  them;  but  the  comfortable  widow  simply 
bowed  and  remained  seated  in  her  easy  chair. 

When  seated,  Rev.  Nostir  said: 

"Ladies,  excuse  me  for  interrupting  your  conver 
sation,  but  our  days  of  probation  in  this  world  are 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  191 

short  and  full  of  trouble  and  the  business  of  The  Lord 
is  urgent." 

"A — a — men!"  exclaimed  Deacon  Going. 

"What  is  going  on  now?"  asked  Lucy. 

"Well,  Sister  Hurryup,  it  has  pleased  The  Lord  to 
inspire  us  with  a  desire  for  the  renewal  of  His  grace 
and  the  revival  of  our  spirits,  and,  at  a  church  meeting, 
a  resolution  was  passed  to  send  our  invitation  and 
urgent  message  to  Evangelist  Harry  Noonday,  to  come 
and  hold  a  series  of  Revival  Meetings  at  our  church 
for  several  weeks,  to  see  if  we  cannot  dislodge  The 
Devil  from  this  stronghold  of  rum,  licentiousness  and 
immorality,"  answered  Rev.  Nostir. 

"A — a — men  I"  said  Deacon   Going. 

The  minister  continued: 

"We  have  seen  Major  Ashcraft  and  he  says  he  will 
contribute  and  lend  all  his  influence  to  the  Revival,  and 
we  thought  we  would  drop  in  and  ask  the  ladies  if 
they  will  not  come  up  to  the  help  of  The  Lord,  also?" 

Lucy  Hurryup  exclaimed:  "Certainly  we  will  help 
you  against  those  Rum  fiends  and  all  other  children  of 
disorder!  I  will  call  a  special  meeting  of  the  W.  C.  T. 
U.  and  we  will  work  from  now  on  to  fill  the  church! 
We  will  'go  out  into  the  highways  and  hedges  and  com 
pel  them  to  come'!" 

"A — a — men!"  put  in  Deacon  Going. 

"When  is  The  Revival  to  commence?"  asked  Miss 
Askwitch. 

"The  Lord  willing — whose  mercy  endureth  forever — 
it  will  commence  next  Sunday.  The  Evangelist,  who 
has  had  thousands  flock  to  the  mercy-seat  and  throw 
themselves  on  their  faces  before  The  Lord,  in  different 
cities,  has  agreed  to  be  here  that  day  with  his  party. 

"We  have  guarnteed  him  one  thousand  dollars  for 
the  two  weeks.  You  know,  ladies,  the  laborer  in  the 
Vineyard  of  The  Lord  is  worthy  of  his  hire. 

"We  would  be  thankful  for  any  donations  our  good 
friends,  who  belong  to  the  brotherhood  of  faith,  can 


192  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

contribute;  but  I  think,  after  the  meeting  gets  warmed 
up  and  under  way,  the  brethren  and  sisters  will  be 
filled  with  such  a  holy  fire  and  zeal  that  they  will 
come  forward  and  throw  their  possessions  into  the 
Treasury  of  The  Lord!"  "A — a — men!"  said  Deacon 
Going,  holding  up  his  hands  in  a  pious  attitude. 

The  Rev.  Nostir  went  on:  "Can  I  see  Miss  Hen 
rietta,  Miss  Askwitch?  She  is  our  greatest  mainstay 
in  music  and  we  would  like  to  give  our  service  of 
song  to  The  Lord  and  to  such  a  holy  man  as  Evangelist 
Harry  Noonday  in  as  attractive  a  way  as  possible." 

To  the  surprise  of  the  other  two  women,  in  a  firm, 
commanding  tone,  Mrs.  Bowink  spoke  up  and  said: 

"I  heard  Dr.  Biddle  tell  Major  Ashcraft,  yesterday, 
that  Henrietta  should  not  sing  any  more  in  public  for 
a  long  time!" 

Miss  Askwitch  and  Lucy  Hurryup  looked  at  each 
other  and  frowned,  but  there  was  something  in  Mrs. 
Bowink's  eye  that  told  them  they  had  better  keep  still. 
The  minister  and  Deacon  looked  at  each  other,  also, 
and  seemed  surprised  and  disappointed,  and  then  the 
former  said: 

"The  Lord  will  take  care  of  His  Saints  and  we  hope, 
in  His  wise  dispensation,  He  will  spread  healing  in 
His  wings  and  she  will  be  filled  with  the  spirit  of  life 
and  truth  to  such  an  extent  that  crumbs  of  comfort 
will  drop  from  her  voice  for  the  feeding  of  the  mul 
titude  and  the  salvation  of  dying  souls!" 

"A — a — men!"  said  Deacon  Going. 

The  minister  and  Deacon  then  arose  and  shook 
hands  with  Miss  Askwitch  and  Lucy  Hurryup,  who 
accompanied  them  to  the  front  door;  but  they  simply 
bowed  to  Mrs.  Jane  Bowink,  as  they  went  out,  who 
remained  in  her  comfortable  seat  and,  placing  her  hand 
over  her  mouth,  yawned. 

When  the  two  men  reached  the  street,  Rev.  Nostir 
said  to  Deacon  Going: 


193 


"I  am  afraid  Mrs.  Bowink  is  a  sheep  without  a 
shepherd  and  does  not  belong  to  the  fold  of  The  Lord!" 

At  The  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club  Snickuls  was 
nodding  over  a  game  of  solitaire,  as  he  tried  to  match 
a  deuce  on  his  stack  of  aces.  He  was  pretty  "full"  and 
could  scarcely  keep  awake. 

"Snickuls!"  exclaimed  Tommy,  as  he  came  hurriedly 
in  and  stood  opposite  to  him  at  the  large  table. 

"Wha — at — hie — Tommy?"  answered  Snickuls,  and 
he  went  on  playing  solitaire. 

Tommy  continued: 

"Let  me  tell  you,  Snickuls!  There's  going  to  be  a 
Great  Revival  here.  Rev.  Peter  Nostir  and  Deacon 
Going  have  engaged  of  Mr.  Hinsdale  a  whole  floor  for 
the  great  Evangelist,  Harry  Noonday,  and  his  helpers. 
They  are  coming  next  Saturday  and  expect  to  hold 
services  every  day  for  two  weeks. 

Snickuls  put  down  his  cards  and  looked  at  Tommy 
with  drowsy  eyes  a  moment,  and  then  remarked: 

"Tom — my — hie — tell  them — hie — at  the  hot — el — 
hie — and  the — church — to  look  out — for — hie — pick 
pockets!" 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

The  Hinsdale  Hotel  was  alive  with  guests  of  a 
religious,  clerical  and  sombre  appearance;  but  that  was 
nothing  new  for  Frank  Hinsdale;  because  he  could  put 
on  an  air  of  sanctity,  personally,  as  well  as  he  could 
that  of  holiness. 

The  Rev.  Nostir,  with  Deacon  Going,  Lucy  Hurryup, 
several  pastors  of  Batesville  churches,  Major  Ashcraft 
and  some  other  business  men  came  into  the  hotel,  Sat 
urday  morning,  with  the  great  Evangelist,  Harry  Noon 
day,  and  his  party,  which  consisted  of  The  Evangelist, 
his  Musical  Director,  Prof.  Mockingale,  and  a  quartet 
of  singers — two  male  and  two  female.  The  Professor 
was  a  great  singer  himself. 


194  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

The  party  was  soon  disposed  of  in  the  most  com 
fortable  rooms  of  the  hotel,  on  the  second  floor,  and 
Mrs.  Hinsdale,  Ella  Rowe,  other  chambermaids  and 
Tommy  had  to  hustle  to  wait  on  them. 

Frank  Hinsdale  was  a  pretty  good  judge  of  men — 
and  of  women,  also — if  a  man  can  ever  get  into  the 
penetration  of  a  woman's  life,  for  his  business  required 
a  quick  insight  into  character  and  motives. 

But  of  the  many  characteristics  Frank  had,  he  pos 
sessed  one  that  was  of  good  advantage  to  him,  and  that 
was  to  be  able  to  hold  his  tongue.  He  had,  after  the 
excitement  of  registering  his  guests  and  assigning  them 
to  their  rooms,  had  time  to  scrutinize,  from  the  desk, 
a  party  of  clericals,  a  little  distance  away  in  the  large 
hotel  oflicc,  the  most  striking  in  appearance  of  whom 
was  Evangelist  Noonday. 

Mr.  Noonday  had  a  fine  body  with  shapely  limbs 
and  was  a  little  over  the  medium  size.  He  had  black 
hair,  gray  eyes,  an  intelligent  brow,  good-looking  nose 
and  iirm  jaw;  but  there  was  something  about  his  mouth 
and  lips  that  would  be  called  voluptuous. 

However,  as  he  stood  there  talking  to  several  min- 
istCiS,  with  his  great  felt  hat,  white  necktie  and  long 
clerical  frock  coat,  it  struck  Frank  that  he  was  a  man 
that  would  have  considerable  power  over  men,  and 
especially  over  women.  He  surely  was  a  striking  and 
attractive  looking  man. 

As  Frank  looked  at  the  party,  Ella  Rowe  came  down 
the  stairs  with  a  message  from  Mrs.  Hinsdale,  and  he 
saw  The  Evangelist's  eyes  following  Ella's  every  motion 
at  the  desk,  t6  the  stairs  and  until  she  had  disappeared 
up  the  stairs  from  view.  What  Frank's  thoughts  were 
then  nobody  ever  knew. 

It  was  a  busy  day  for  the  hotel  and  by  night  every 
one  of  the  force  was  pretty  well  tired  out.  It  was 
"Tommy,  do  this!"  and  "Tommy,  do  that!"  but  Tommy 
Dust  was  a  wiry  little  chap  and  seemed  to  have  more 
bottom  than  any  of  them.  During  the  day  he  had 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  195 

gotten  a  couple  of  other  boys  in  to  help  him  with  his 
duties  and,  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  had  a 
nap  for  three  or  four  hours;  so  that  he  was  prepared 
to  relieve  the  night  clerk,  if  necessary,  during  the  night. 

The  night  clerk  was  always  willing  to  shift  the  work 
and  responsibility  on  Tommy,  if  he  could,  and  asked 
him  if  he  would  take  the  desk  for  two  or  three  hours 
at  twelve  o'clock  and  let  him  sleep  awhile;  to  which 
Tommy  agreed. 

Evangelist  Noonday  and  all  the  ministers  of  the 
city  and  county,  who  were  to  co-operate  with  him  in 
the  two  weeks'  Revival,  were  invited  to  a  supper,  given 
by  one  of  the  wealthy  members  of  Dr.  Nostir's  church 
and,  of  course,  they  all  accepted;  but  it  had  been  pre 
viously  agreed  that  all  the  ministers  should  meet  that 
night — suggested  by  the  Evangelist — to  lay  out  a  con 
certed  plan  of  action  or  campaign  for  the  ministers. 

Not  being  able  to  go  to  both  in  the  early  evening, 
the  ministers  said  they  would  meet  at  the  hotel  at 
twelve  o'clock,  and  Frank  Hinsdale  gave  them  permis 
sion  to  use  Conference  Room  No.  1. 

Sitting  in  the  office  Tommy  heard  Dr.  Nostir  make 
the  arrangements  with  Mr.  Hinsdale  for  the  meeting. 

Tommy  took  the  desk  at  twelve  o'clock  that  night 
and  the  night  clerk  went  and  laid  down,  leaving  him 
behind  the  desk  and  everything  still. 

Very  soon  ten  ministers,  led  by  The  Evangelist  ana 
Rev.  Nostir,  came  trooping  into  the  hotel  and  Tommy 
took  them  up  to  Conference  Room  No.  1.  They  all 
looked  like  they  had  been  well  fed  and  well  prepared 
for  business,  if  there  was  any  to  do,  especially  as  The 
Evangelist  had  advised  them  to  take  a  good  nap  in  th& 
afternoon,  which  all  of  them  had  done. 

Tommy  was  soon  back  at  the  desk  and  in  a  few 
minutes  went  to  a  place  where  he  could  see,  unseen, 
and  hear  every  word  the  ministers  said. 


196  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

They  were  seated,  very  comfortably,  around  a  long 
table,  with  The  Evangelist  at  the  head,  who  rapped  on 
the  table  and  said: 

"Come  to  order,  Brethren  1  It  gives  me  great  pleas 
ure  to  come  among  you,  Brethren,  and  have  the  eyes 
of  such  Christian  sympathy  beam  on  me.  I  was  in 
very  much  doubt  whether  I  should  come  here  or  not; 
but  I  laid  the  subject  before  The  Lord  in  earnest  sup 
plication  and  He  said  go  to  Batesville."  (He  did  not 
tell  them  that  Batesville  had  offered  him  one  thousand 
dollars  for  two  weeks'  evangelization  and  the  other 
place  only  five  hundred  dollars.) 

"Well,  Brethren,  I  am  here  to  carry  out  the  work  of 
The  Lord  and  we  must  put  our  hands,  our  hearts  and 
our  souls  together  in  holy  zeal  to  carry  it  out.  But  I 
believe  in  having  common  sense  and  business  sense  in 
religion,  just  like  in  anything  else. 

"Now  we  want  to  get  the  people  converted  and  have 
great  accessions  to  your  churches,  and  how  are  you 
going  to  do  it?" 

One  of  the  other  preachers  spoke  out  emphatically: 

"Yes,  Lord,  by  the  power  of  his  might!" 

"You  know,  Brethren,"  went  on  Harry  Noonday, 
"and  I  speak  among  ourselves,  as  ministers,  we  have 
got  to  get  the  people  stirred  up,  excited,  filled  up  with 
a  holy  religious  frenzy!  and  when  we  get  them  to  that 
point,  they  will  come  and  throw  their  souls,  bodies  and 
possessions  on  the  altar  of  God. 

"The  question  is  how  to  do  that?" 

"By  prayer  and  supplication!"  answered  another 
minister. 

Harry  Noonday  went  on:  "But  wait,  Brother.  I 
have  had  a  great  deal  of  experience  in  evangelism  and 
there  is  a  knack  about  doing  everything,  praise  God, 
and  The  Lord  allows  the  use  of  worldly  means  and 
ways  in  order  to  accomplish  spiritual  ends. 

"By  continued  prayer,  with  humility  of  spirit,  Breth 
ren,  before  the  mercy  seat,  I  have  found  out,  through 


197, 

the  wisdom  of  God,  that  there  are  two  great  factors  or 
levers  to  be  used  in  this  world  to  accomplish  ends,  and 
they  are — The  Hope  of  Reward  and  Fear  of  Punishment 

"As  a  coadjutor  in  bringing  the  people  to  religion 
and  God's  Church,  there  is  nothing  so  powerful  to  be 
used  upon  their  minds,  hearts  and  souls  as  The  Fear 
of  Punishment.  It  is  the  key  that  unlocks  the  door 
of  the  treasure  house  of  all  power  of  The  Clergy. 
Without  that  treasure  house,  we  ministers  would  be 
exceedingly  poor,  Brethren,  and  I  say,  humbly,  if  we 
drop,  as  a  weapon,  the  use  in  our  ministry  of  The  Fear 
of  Punishment,  then  our  influence  is  forever  gone. 

"Take  that  fact  as  the  basis  of  your  preaching  and 
begin  tomorrow  with  every  member  of  your  congre 
gation.  Make  them  alarmed  about  their  souls  I  Tell 
them — men,  women  and  children — they  have  got  to  flee 
from  the  wrath  to  come,  or  they  will  go  right  down 
to  Hell,  which  is  yawning  before  them. 

"The  more  you  can  frighten  them  the  faster  they 
will  come  and  the  more  you  can  exercise  your  power 
over  them. 

"You  must  get  every  member  of  your  church  to 
have  prayers  in  the  morning  for  their  sins;  prayer  at 
night  for  their  sins  and  prayer  (before  they  come  to 
our  meetings  for  their  sins. 

"Get  them  to  tell  all  their  neighbors  to  pray  for 
their  sins  and  induce  the  school  children  to  tell  their 
playmates  that  they  should  pray  for  their  sins  and, 
when  they  come  to  church,  impress  upon  them  the 
horrors  awaiting  them  for  their  sins!  People  are  very 
much,  in  their  minds,  like  sheep,  which  will  follow 
the  ones  that  run  in  a  certain  direction,  even  if  it  were 
over  a  precipice,  and  if  you  get  a  portion  of  the  people 
terrified  about  their  sins,  they  will  all,  who  come,  be 
terrified  and  there  will  be  conversions  by  the  hundreds. 

"Now,  Brethren,  when  you  get  the  people  where 
you  want  them,  by  the  use  of  Fear  of  Punishment,  bring 
in  The  Hope  of  Reward  as  a  clincher  to  bring  them  to 


198  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

God.  Picture  to  them  the  beauties  of  Heaven  and  The 
Mansions  of  The  Blest!" 

Tommy  thought  he  heard  a  noise  downstairs  and 
went  back  to  the  desk  and,  in  a  short  time,  most  of 
the  ministers  came  downstairs  and  went  home. 

The  next  morning  about  eleven  o'clock  Tommy  met 
Ella  Rowe  in  the  hall,  upstairs.  Just  then  The  Evangel 
ist  came  out  of  his  room,  Bible  and  Hymn  Book  in  his 
hand.  It  was  Sunday  and  he  passed  them  to  meet  Mr. 
Mockingale  and  the  rest  of  his  party  in  the  parlor,  and 
then  to  go  and  hold  services  in  Dr.  Nostir's  Church. 

"How  do  you  like  his  looks,  Ella?"  whispered 
Tommy. 

"I  do  not  know,  Tommy,  what  to  think  of  him;  he 
acts  so  strangely  toward  me." 

Tommy  went  downstairs  and  saw  Harry  Noonday 
again,  in  the  office.  A  new  minister  had  just  come  into 
the  hotel,  who,  seeing  The  Evangelist,  grasped  his  hand 
cordially  and  exclaimed: 

"How  do  you  do,  Brother?  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you! 
How  are  your  wife  and  children?" 

The  Evangelist  answered:  "Pretty  well,  I  thank 
you!  I  left  my  wife  and  children  home,  this  time!" 
Later  in  the  day  Tommy  told  Ella  that  Harry  Noonday 
had  a  wife  and  children. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  Evangelist  Noonday  came  to 
the  door  of  his  room,  called  Ella,  who  was  in  the  hall, 
and  asked  her  if  she  would  not  put  some  more  cover 
on  his  bed. 

Ella  went  after  the  cover  and  when  she  came  back 
his  door  was  open  and  he  sat  in  a  comfortable  chair, 
near  the  bed.  She  spread  the  extra  cover  over  it  and 
tucked  it,  down  at  the  foot,  and  when  doing  so  passed 
very  close  to  The  Evangelist,  who  reached  out  and 
grasped  her  hand. 

Ella  jerked  away  and  looked  at  him  very  sternly, 
saying: 

"How  dare  you,  and  being  a  married  man  at  that!" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  199 

Before  she  could  retreat  he  seized  her  hand  again, 
put  his  hand  in  his  vest  pocket,  pulled  it  out,  put 
something  into  her  hand  and  closed  it  up.  Ella  opened 
her  hand,  and  saw  it  was  a  five-dollar  bill,  threw  it 

into  his  face  and  left  the  room. 

********* 

The  Revival  Meetings  at  Dr.  Nostir's  Church  were 
swelling  in  numbers  every  day.  At  first  there  were 
few  conversions,  but,  when  the  ministers  got  in  their 
work  all  over  the  county,  it  began  to  tell.  The  elo 
quence  of  Evangelist  Harry  Noonday  was  heralded  near 
and  far  through  the  county,  and  he  had  services  in  the 
morning,  in  the  afternoon  and  at  night.  The  other 
local  churches  were  all  closed,  but  the  members  of  all 
the  churches  had  prayers  before  breakfast;  prayers 
after  breakfast;  prayers  before  supper;  prayers  after 
supper;  prayers  in  different  parts  of  Dr.  Nostir's 
Church,  before  the  great  service  of  The  Evangelist 
began  and,  as  the  ministers  termed  it,  "The  air  is  full 
of  holy  frenzy !" 

The  merchants  were  talking  about  their  sins;  the 
street  car  men  were  talking  about  their  sins,  and  the 
little  children  in  the  schoolrooms  were  writing  on  their 
slates  and  copy  books,  and  pushing  them  at  each  other, 
with  tearful  eyes,  to  read: 

"Flee  from  the  wrath  to  come!" 

(As  if  The  Great  Ruler  of  The  Universe  could  not 
take  care  of  His  children,  without  frightening  them  to 
death.) 

The  Revival  had  gone  on  now  for  about  a  week 
and  Dr.  Nostir's  Church  was  so  crowded  that  there 
was  not  standing  room,  and  people  could  not  get  into 
the  doors  and  stood  in  crowds  outside  in  the  street. 
They  came  from  every  direction  in  the  city  and  all 
over  the  county;  some  on  foot;  some  on  horseback; 
some  in  carriages,  and  some  in  wagons. 


200  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

There  was  nothing  talked  of  in  the  home,  on  the 
streets,  in  the  business  houses  and  in  the  churches  but 
Religion,  Religion,  Religion. 

Even  the  young  men  and  young  women  in  making 
appointments  would  say:  "Yes,  I  will  meet  you  at  The 
Revival!"  During  the  course  of  every  meeting  those 
who  wished  to  be  prayed  for  were  invited  up  to  The 
Mourners'  Bench,  and  hundreds  pushed  themselves  for 
ward. 

One  morning  Dr.  Nostir  took  Harry  Noonday  into 
his  study  in  the  basement  of  the  church,  locked  the 
door  and,  clasping  his  hand,  exclaimed: 

"Praise  The  Lord,  Brother,  you  are  doing  a  glorious 
work!  but  could  you  not  give  a  death  blow  to  the 
Rum  power  in  this  city,  before  you  leave?" 

The  Evangelist  put  his  hand  to  his  brow,  sat  down 
and  said: 

"Let  me  think.  Yes,  I  have  it!  Yes,  tell  all  the 
ministers  and  announce  in  the  press  that  tomorrow 
night  I  will  take  as  my  subject:  The  Unpardonable 
Sin!'  What  is  it?  and  I  will  work  the  manufacturing 
of  Liquors,  the  Selling  of  Liquors  and  the  Use  of 
Liquors  as  one  of  The  Unpardonable  Sins/  into  the 
sermon !" 

"Good!"  exclaimed  Rev.  Nostir,  and  they  went  out, 
arm  in  arm. 

That  night  Tommy  had  to  take  the  desk  again  at 
twelve  o'clock.  In  a  few  moments  Harry  Noonday 
came  in  with  Mr.  Mockingale,  his  Musical  Director, 
and  asked  at  the  desk  if  they  might  use  Conference 
Room  No.  1,  to  do  some  writing  for  about  one  hour. 

"Certainly!"  said  Tommy,  and  he  gave  them  the 
key;  but  they  did  not  know  that  in  about  five  minutes 
he  would  be  in  a  position  to  hear  everything  they  said. 

Tommy  was  on  the  secret  stairway  a  little  before 
they  got  there,  but  he  heard  the  key  turn  in  Conference 
Room  No.  1  door  and,  peeping,  saw  Harry  Noonday 
enter,  followed  by  Mockingale. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  201 

The  former  locked  the  door  and  tried  it,  then  threw 
himself  in  a  comfortable  chair  at  the  table  that  came 
close  up  to  the  wall  where  Tommy  was  hiding.  The 
Evangelist  exclaimed: 

"Mockingale,  I  am  getting  tired  of  this  kind  of  life! 
It  is  quite  a  bore  to  me.  Just  think  how  I,  with  a 
little  gab,  and  you,  with  a  little  music,  have  stirred 
those  poor  devils  up  around  here!" 

Mockingale  sat  down,  also,  and  answered: 

"Well,  there  is  lots  of  money  in  it,  and  that  is  what 
everybody  is  after.  What  could  you  go  into  that  would 
pay  us  as  well?" 

Noonday   answered: 

"Yes,  that  is  true;  that  is  what  we  are  after,  but 
it  gets  tiresome  to  go  over  the  same  tactics  all  over  the 
country;  especially  when  you  do  not  believe  in  what 
you  are  preaching.  Anyhow,  I  have  put  away  one  hun 
dred  thousand  dollars  in  the  last  three  years. 

"But  that  is  not  enough.  When  I  make  five  hundred 
thousand  dollars  I  will  retire!" 

Mockingale  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  asked: 

"What  do  we  get  here?" 

Evangelist  Noonday  answered:  "Well,  old  Nostir 
agreed  to  give  me  one  thousand  dollars,  above  all 
expenses,  and  one-half  the  plate  money.  Our  share  in 
the  plate  money  will  be,  so  far,  as  much  as  one  thou 
sand;  but  just  wait  until  I  get  that  'Unpardonable  Sin* 
dodge  off  on  them,  tomorrow,  and  they  will  throw 
everything  they  have  got  into  the  plate,  especially  the 
women;  their  money,  their  diamonds,  their  watches, 
rings  and  bracelets,  and  if  they  could  put  their  houses 
and  lots  in  the  plate,  they  will  do  it!  I  expect  a  nice 
haul.  But  I  am  tired  of  everything.  Let  us  talk  about 
the  girls!" 

The  two  men  took  out  some  cigars  and  began  to 
smoke.  Tommy  listened  to  them  for  quite  awhile  and 
then  they  left  the  room  and  went  to  bed;  but  when 


202  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

he  got  downstairs  to  the  desk,  he  shook  his  head  slowly 
and  said: 

"I  have  heard  lots  of  bad  men  talk  in  this  hotel, 
but  have  never  heard  anybody  tell  such  nasty  stories, 
a>bout  women,  as  these  two  men!" 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

The  greatest  Revival  Meeting  night  had  come  and 
Dr.  Nostir  and  his  coadjutors  could  not  find  room  in  his 
large  church  for  the  people,  who  had  flocked  from  all 
directions  to  hear  Evangelist  Harry  Noonday  preach  on 
"The  Unpardonable  Sin,"  which  had  been  advertised 
by  word  of  mouth  of  every  minister  and  deacon  exten 
sively,  and  by  newspapers  in  the  city.  Not  only  was 
there  not  standing  room  in  the  church,  but  on  the 
outside  in  the  street  for  a  whole  block,  on  either  side, 
the  people  stood,  pushed  and  scrambled  to  see  if  they 
could  not  get  in.  Some  of  the  select  few  were  given 
seats  near  up  to  the  front,  close  to  the  pulpit,  among 
whom  were  Judge  Elmira  Sims,  Dr.  Biddell  and  Miss 
Askwitch. 

The  Judge  had  heard  so  much  of  The  Evangelist 
that  he  was  curious  to  see  him;  Dr.  Biddell  went  for 
professional  reasons,  and  Miss  Askwitch  for  a  number 
of  reasons,  the  principle  one  of  which,  though  she  did 
not  tell  anybody,  was  to  see  and  to  be  seen  by  Rev. 
Joylifter,  who,  she  heard,  was  to  be  one  of  the  occu 
pants  of  the  pulpit. 

Miss  Askwitch  tried  her  best  to  get  Mrs.  Bowink  to 
accompany  her,  but  she  would  not  and  said  irrev 
erently: 

"I  do  not  care  to  be  associated  with  all  the  people, 
who  have  just  escaped  from  the  Lunatic  Asylum!" 
which  shocked  Miss  Askwitch's  sensibility  greatly. 

Henrietta  said  she  would  stay  at  home  and  asked 
Mrs.  Bowink  if  she  would  come  and  stay  with  her, 
until  Major  Ashcraft  would  come  home  from  the 
meeting. 

Miss  Askwitch  said  to  herself: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  203 

"Everything  seems  to  go  wrong  with  me  since  that 
wretch  killed  Albert.  Even  Henrietta,  whom  I  have 
brought  up  from  a  little  girl,  seeks  Mrs.  Bowink's 
society  all  the  time,  who  is  only  a  coarse,  stupid 
woman,  without  any  religion." 

Of  course  Major  Ashcraft  went  and  sat  on  the  side 
of  the  pulpit  with  Deacon  Going  and  the  other  Deacons* 
There  were  many  chairs  placed  on  the  broad  pulpit 
platform,  which  were  arranged  to  hold  all  the  ministers 
of  the  city  and  county  and  some  others  from  a  distance, 
including  Brothers  Blissway,  Verigood  and  Joylifter. 

By  the  influence  of  her  connection  with  Major  Ash- 
craft,  Miss  Askwitch  got  pretty  close  to  the  pulpit, 
right  back  of  The  Mourners'  Bench. 

Snickuls  and  Tommy  Dust,  somehow,  in  the  crowd 
had  gotten  into  the  center  of  the  church,  well  up  to 
the  front.  Snickuls  was  pretty  full  this  time,  but  he 
never  lost  his  head,  even  if  his  head  was  a  little  affected. 

At  eight  o'clock,  promptly,  through  the  small  doors 
back  of  the  pulpit,  in  came  all  the  ministers  and  took 
seats,  and  the  vast  audience  bent  forward  to  see  the 
renowned  Evangelist,  Harry  Noonday,  who  came  in  at 
the  last,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Nostir,  who  went  right  to 
the  pulpit,  as  The  Evangelist  took  the  most  prominent 
place  among  the  ministers. 

The  meeting  was  opened  by  Dr.  Nostir  delivering 
a  short  prayer,  in  which  he  asked  God  to  bless  that 
vast  assemblage  and  the  work  of  The  Evangelist,  and 
that  his  words  might  redound  to  the  conversion  of 
souls  and  the  confusion  of  the  Rum  power,  which  was 
sending  to  perdition,  in  their  midst,  so  many  precious 
souls.  All  the  ministers  along  the  platform  chimed  in: 

"Yes,  good  Lord!"    "Blessed  be  His  Name!" 

"Thy  Kingdom  come!"    "Hallelujah!" 

But  the  loudest  note  of  them  all  came  from  The 
Deacon's  pew,  and  was  Deacon  Going's  "A — a — men!" 
.••  "Tom— my,"  whispered  Snickuls,  "The  Deacon's— or 
— hie — gun — is  in — good— hie — tune  to — hie — night."  •. 


204  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

;  During  the  prayer  Miss  Askwitch  wondered,  as  she 
knelt  down  in  the  pew,  if  the  Rev.  Joylifter  saw  her 
new  dress  and  if  it  fitted  her  graceful  form,  and  th6 
Rev.  Joylifter  wondered  if  she  recognized  his  manly 
voice,  when  he  shouted:  "Hallelujah!" 

The  pulpit  was  only  a'  small  one  and,  when  The 
Evangelist  arose,  everyone  looked  earnestly  and  had  a 
good  view  of  him. 

Judge  Elmira  Sims  said  to  himself: 

"He  makes  a  good  appearance,  but,  as  a  permanency, 
I  think  he  would  make  a  better  lawyer  than  Evangelist." 

Dr.  Biddell's  silent  soliloquy  was: 

"All  right,  except  the  mouth  and  back  of  the  head.** 

Harry  Noonday  asked  Mr.  Mockingale,  who  presided 
at  the  organ,  just  below  the  pulpit,  to  have  his  company 
sing  a  quartet,  and  two  males  and  two  females  sang 
beautifully: 

"Will  There  Be  Any  Stars  In  My  Grown?" 

He  then  asked  the  great  audience  to  rise  and  sing 
the  same  piece  with  the  quartet,  which  they  did,  in  the 
midst  of  which  the  ministers  on  the  platform,  The 
Deacons  on  one  side  and ,  Lucy  Hurryup's  crowd  of 
women  on  the  other  side,  began  to  shout  and  moan  and 
groan  and  weep;  at  which 'the  main  audience  began 
to  get  greatly  affected. 

"Brethren  and  Christian  friends,"  said  The  Evangel 
ist,  "all  day,  today,  before1  coming  to  you,  tonight,  I 
have  been  wrestling  with  God  on  the  awfulness  of  the 
subject  and  said  over  and  over  to  myself: 

"The  Unpardonable  Sin!  What  is  it?'  Have  I 
committed  it?  Have  my  friends  committed  it?  Have 
my  neighbors  committed  it? 

"Sometimes,  Brethren,  we*  have  estrangements  from 
great  friends  and  never  did  know  what  caused  it,  and 
just  think  of  the  horrible  thought  that  we  have  com 
mitted  that  sin— which  God,  Himself,  cannot  pardon— 
without  knowing  it,  and  we  must  go  down  the  ages, 
wailing  and  gnashing  our  teeth  I"  ! 


COLONEL  BERRY'S   CHALLENGE  2Q5 

From  the  ministers  and  all  over  the  audience  room 
came 

"No,  Lord!"  "Have  Mercy!"  "I'm  Lost!"  "Pity 
me!"  "Tell  us  how  to  keep  from  it!"  : 

The  Evangelist  went  on:  ' 

"When  Moses  went  into  The  Wilderness,  God  called 
to  him  out  of  the  burning  bush  and  told  him  to  take 
his  shoes  off,  for  the  ground  was  holy,  and  I  feel  like 
Moses,  that  I  am  treading  on  holy  ground,  and  that  at 
this  very  minute  you  may  be  treading  on  holy  ground 
with  your  shoes  on,  and  offending  God  so  that  He  wiH 
never  forgive  you!" 

The  ministers  began  to  mourn  again  and  The 
Deacons  to  groan  and  the  women  to  weep  and  the 
audience,  stirred  greatly,  to  shout: 

"Please  Lord!"  "Forgive  my  Sins!"  "Wash  me 
Clean!"  "Help!"  "Isn't  there  Any  Hope?"  "What 
shall  I  do?" 

The  Evangelist  went  on: 

"How  cheering  a  thought  it  is  to  every  child  to 
think  that  whatever  offense  he  has  committed,  he  can 
go  to  his  father  or  mother,  who  will  pity  and  comfort 
and  forgive;  and  how  dreadful  a  thought  it  must  be 
to  think  that  we  had  committed  something  that  they 
never  could  and  never  would  forgive;  that  all  our 
sources  of  pity  in  this  world;  all  our  source  of  com 
fort  and  all  our  source  of  forgiveness  were  gone!" 

"No!  No!"  groaned  and  shouted  and  moaned  the 
ministers,  The  Deacons  and  W.  G.  T.  U.  women,  which 
was  taken  up  and  repeated  one  hundred  fold  by  the 
audience. 

The  Evangelist  went  on: 

"And  then,  my  friends,  think  of  our  Heavenly  Father, 
that  great  and  awful  God,  who  holds  The  Universe  in 
His  hands,  saying  to  us: 

"'Depart!  there  is  no  hope;  there  is  no  pity;  there 
is  no  comfort;  there  is  no  forgiveness!  You  have  com- 


206  COLONEL  BERRY;S  CHALLENGE 

milled  Ihe  'Unpardonable  Sin'!    Depart  to  everlasting 
Torment,  prepared  for  The  Devil  and  his  Angels!'" 

Here  the  ministers  commenced,  again,  and  the  whole 
assemblage  began  to  be  slirred  to  its  depths,  as  if  writh 
ing  in  deep  soul  trouble. 

The  Evangelist  continued,  raising  himself  to  his  full 
height  and  shouting  his  loudest: 

"We  think  we  have  pain  and  suffering  and  anguish 
from  some  bodily  ailmenl,  in  this  world,  but  think  of 
The  Eternal  Punishment!  The  Lake  of  Fire  and  Brim 
stone!  and  The  Torments  of  The  Damned  for  unlold 
millions  and  billions  of  years— Forever  and  Forever!" 

The  ministers  and  audience  seemed  wild;  they 
moaned,  the  latler  clung  around  each  others'  necks; 
they  sobbed;  they  knelt  and  prayed  and  some  rolled 
on  the  floor  in  agony. 

The  Evangelist  continued: 

"My  friends,  many  of  you  are  on  the  verge  of  com 
mitting  The  Unpardonable  Sin,'  and  some  of  you  in 
this  house  lonighl  have  already  committed  it  no  doubt. 
'The  Unpardonable  Sin'  to  one  may  not  be  the  'Unpar 
donable  Sin'  to  another;  but  there  is  one  Sin  that  1 
am  sure  that,  if  persisted  in,  year  in  and  year  out,  until 
the  heart  is  callous,  The  Lord  will  never  forgive!" 

Here  the  ministers  began  again  and  the  audience 
was  in  another  spasm  of  agony. 

Harry  continued: 

"I  am  sure  that  Almighty  God  will  never  forgive 
those  who  continue,  year  in  and  year  out,  in  manufac 
turing — against  all  the  warning  of  His  Saints  and  their 
preaching,  and  selling  that  fluid  of  Hell— Rum!  Rum! 
Rum !" 

Then  the  ministers,  and  particularly  Lucy  Hurryup's 
Crowd,  were  very  demonstrative,  but  the  loudest  of 
them  all  was  Deacon  Going's  "A— a— men!" 

Harry  went  on: 

-     "Yes,  he  who  manufactures  and  sells  that  accursed 
fluid  is  at  the  bottom  of  all  the  drinking,  all  the  gamb- 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  207 

ling,  the  stealing,  robbing,  licentiousness  and  whore 
dom,  ami  God  Almighty  will  command  His  Angels,  with 
flaming  swords,  to  throw  him  into  Hell!  It  is  one  of 
'The  Unpardonable  Sins' ! 

"For  those  who  have  committed  this  Sin  there  is 
no  hope,  and  I  doubt  not  there  are  some  in  this  audi 
ence,  tonipht;  but,  how  are  the  ones,  who  have  not 
committed  it,  before  the  day  of  grace  is  passed,  going 
to  escape? 

"Come  to  Christ  and  God,  before  the  door  is  closed 
and  you  are  shut  out!  Give  your  bodies  as  a  living 
sacrifice  to  Christ  and  remember  that  The  Lord  said: 

"  'Go  and  sell  all  that  thou  hast  and  come  and  fol 
low  me!' 

"Mr.   Mockingale,  please   sing: 

"'Come  to  Jesus!'  and  those  who  wish  to  be  prayed 
for  and  put  on  The  Lord's  side  and  escape  'The  Unpar 
donable  Sin,'  let  them  come  forward  to  The  Mourners' 
Bench!" 

As  the  paid  musicians  sang  this  song,  hundreds 
flocked  -ip  to  The  Mourners'  Bench,  apparently  in  great 
agony,  and  it  was  seen  that  there  was  not  room  enough 
for  those  who  wanted  to  come. 

When  the  music  stopped  The  Evangelist  called  out: 

"There  is  not  room  enough  in  front  for  those  who 
are  seeking  The  Lord  and  I  would  ask  all  the  audience 
to  be  seated,"  which  was  done. 

He  then  called  out: 

"Now,  friends,  all  of  you  who  want  to  be  prayed 
for  and  put  yourself  on  The  Lord's  side,  let  them  stand 
up!" 

About  h?lf  of  those  in  the  church  stood  up.  The 
Evangelist  th~n  turned  and  looked  at  Dr.  Nostir,  who 
whispered  among  the  ministers  and  they  all  left  the 
platform  and  went  down  in  the  audience  to  comfort 
the  mourners,  and  he  toll  the  musicians  to  sing: 

"Safe  In   the  Arms  of  Jesus!" 


208  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

While  they  were  singing  this  hymn,  the  ministers 
and  Deacons  and  W.  G.  T.  U.  women  and  other  women 
were  let  loose  on  the  audience,  and  they  went  from 
pew  to  pew,  begging  and  weeping  and  mourning  and 
telling  the  people  to  "Come  to  Jesus!" 

This  lasted  about  fifteen  minutes,  during  which  time, 
when  the  musicians  were  not  singing  some  sad  song, 
Noonday  was  repeating  clauses  and  sentences  from  The 
Bible,  such  as: 

"Give  your  bodies  as  a  living  Sacrifice!" 

"Come  and  follow  me  I" 

"It  is  as  hard  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of 
a  needle  as  a  rich  man  to  enter  The  Kingdom  of 
Heaven!" 

Very  soon  all  the  ministers,  Deacons  and  sisters 
returned  to  the  front  and  Harry  called  out  in  a  loud 
voice: 

"All  who  are  on  The  Lord's  side  and  wish  to  escape 
that  awful  Sin,  let  them  stand  up!" 

Snickuls  was  sitting  with  Tommy  and  wanted  to 
stand  up,  but  Tommy  pulled  him  down,  whispering 
to  him: 

"Snickuls,  Snickuls,  I  would  not  do  it!  He's  a  hypo 
crite!"  and  there  were  no  ones  in  the  great  audience, 
who  did  not  stand  up,  except  Judge  Elmira  Sims,  Dr. 
Biddell,  Snickuls  and  Tommy. 

After  they  were  all  seated  again,  The  Evangelist 
said: 

"Now,  friends,  God  Almighty  requires  a  proof  of 
your  good  faith,  and  says: 

"What  profitcth  a  man,  if  he  gain  the  whole  world 
and  lose  his  own  Soul? 

"What  are  lands  and  houses  and  stocks  and  bonds 
and  money  in  comparison  with  the  value  of  our  Souls! 

"If  we  are  on  The  Lord's  side,  we  will  do  all  we 
can  to  further  God's  work — a  part  of  which  is  taking 
care  of  His  poor. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  209 

"The  Deacons  will  now  take  up  a  collection  and 
recollect,  friends,  that 

"'He  who  giveth  to  the  poor  lendeth  to  the  Lord!' 
and 

"The  Lord  loveth  a  cheerful  giver!5" 

The  Deacons,  with  large  baskets,  passed  through  the 
crowd.  Men  emptied  their  pockets  of  money,  women 
took  off  their  watches,  bracelets,  breastpins  and  other 
ornaments  and  threw  them  into  the  baskets,  and  some 
put  in  I.  O.  U.  written  memoranda  of  large  amounts, 
to  be  paid  at  their  offices;  but,  the  next  day,  when  the 
excitement  was  over,  quite  a  number  refused  to  pay. 

Judge  Elmira  Sims,  Dr.  Biddle  and  Tommy  gave 
nothing,  and  Snickuls  ten  cents. 

After  a  prayer  was  offered  by  The  Evangelist,  the 
musicians  and  the  vast  assembly  arose  and  sang: 

"Lord,  Dismiss  Us  With  Thy  Blessing,"  and  retired. 
When  all  the  other  ministers  had  gone  home,  Harry 
Noonday  and  Rev.  Nostir  stood  in  the  latter's  study 
looking  over  the  baskets  that  contained  the  collection. 
The  Evangelist's  eyes  bulged  out,  as  he  exclaimed: 

"I  think  there  must  be  somewhere  near  ten  thousand 
dollars  in  value!" 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Lawyer  I.  G.  Wisdom  was  walking  along  Main  Street 
and  he  met  Dr.  Biddle.  The  two  professional  men  were 
very  good  friends  and  the  lawyer  said: 

"Doctor,  what  do  you  think  the  secret  of  Harry 
Noonday's  power  is?  They  say  he  has  taken  the  county 
and  the  churches  are  too  small  to  hold  his  audiences!" 

The  Doctor  answered: 

"I  heard  him  last  night,  and  twice  before  and  do 
not  think  it  is  difficult  to  understand  him. 

"In  the  first  place,  he  sets  all  the  ministers  in  this 
region  to  work,  who  advertise  him  and  bring  him  the 
crowds  and,  when  he  is  preaching,  their  emotional 
actions  in  mourning  and  groaning,  and  sighing  and 


210  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

weeping  cause  a  corresponding  sympathetic  wave  in 
the  audience. 

"It  is  somewhat  like  this — if  one  man  in  the  audi 
ence  of  a  theater  applauds,  by  clapping,  generally  he 
will  start  the  whole  theater  doing  the  same  thing. 

"When  Noonday  and  the  otther  ministers  get  the 
audience  into  a  highly  emotional  state,  the  next  thing 
is  to  get  them  into  a  depressed  and  desperate  state.  It 
is  only  a  move  in  the  game  of  psychology,  and  I  will 
tell  you  how  it  is  done. 

"When  I  was  a  young  physician,  in  The  South,  there 
would  be  great  epidemics  of  Yellow  Fever  sweep  over 
that  section  of  the  country  and  there  would  be  so  many 
people  ill,  in  the  towns,  that  the  authorities  would  not 
allow  the  church  bells  to  be  rung  on  Sunday  or  any 
other  time. 

"Why?  Because  the  sound  of  the  bells  was  in  a 
minor  key,  which  always  makes  people  sad,  depressed, 
restless  and  more  apt  to  die  when  they  are  ill. 

"You  will  notice  that  all  the  Revival  songs  are  in 
a  minor  key,  which,  if  played  among  a  lot  of  animals, 
would  make  a  dog  howl,  and  it  has  the  same  effect  on 
people. 

"I  will  venture  to  say,  that  if  you  will  play  any 
selection  of  music,  that  will  make  a  dog  howl,  and 
then  afterwards  perform  it  before  any  Christian  audi 
ence  in  the  world — if  they  do  not  know  the  name  of 
it,  they  will  say  it  is  religious  music. 

"Noonday's  next  move  in  Psychology  is  to  use  The 
Instrument  of  Fear,  to  drive  the  audience  to  action, 
which,  when  coupled  with  the  sympathetic  influence  of 
a  lot  of  ministers  and  women,  explains  the  reason  for 
his  many  visitors  to  The  Mourners'  Bench,  numerous 
conversions  and  great  contributions." 

"You  do  not  think  there  is  anything  supernatural 
or  miraculous  about  it,  then,  Doctor?"  asked  the  lawyer. 

"Not  at  all!"  answered  The  Doctor,  "it  is  only  a 
matter  of  Psychology.  He  studies  those  things  and 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  211 

applies  the  forces  of  Nature  to  accomplish  his  ends, 
just  like  the  mariner  uses  the  winds  on  his  sails  to 
drive  his  vessel  to  port,  or  the  miller  uses  the  flowing 
water  to  turn  his  waterwheel  1" 

Lawyer  Wisdom  continued: 

"Do  you  think  he  is  doing  any  good?" 

The  Doctor  answered: 

"Well,  Wisdom,  I  do  not  think  any  earnest,  con 
scientious  person  can  try  to  do  good,  without  accom 
plishing  some  good.  As  to  this  man's  motives,  I  will 
not  express  an  opinion  now,  though  I  have  my  ideas; 
but  I  will  say  this,  that  I  believe  that  if  Harry  Noon 
day,  the  ministers  and  other  coadjutors  in  this  Revival 
would  devote  the  same  time,  energy  and  money  in  the 
normal  channels  of  religion  that  there  would  be  far 
more  good  done.  A  minister,  preacher  or  priest  in  his 
everyday  work  will  accomplish  a  more  permanent 
benefit  to  society. 

"The  permanent  utility  of  anything  is  doubtful  that 
is  done  in  a  hurry,  and  those  conversions  are  surely 
done  in  a  hurry." 

"Do  you  think  that  some  of  these  conversions  will 
be  lasting?"  asked  the  lawyer. 

-  Dr.  Biddle  paused  and  looked  him  earnestly  in  the 
eye  a  moment,  and  said: 

"Very  few.  Character,  like  a  diamond,  takes  a  Icng 
time  in  its  formation;  and  if  it  is  formed  by  unnatural 
or  abnormal  methods,  it  is  not  genuine;  it  is  spurious. 

"Another  way  to  look  at  it  is  this:  If,  from  any 
unusual  cause  in  life,  we  go  to  great  extremes — whether 
eating,  drinking,  business,  society  cr  Religion,  when 
that  cause  is  removed  we  are  almost  sure  to  drop  back 
to  the  normal  state  and  wonder  why  we  were  ever  so 
foolish  as  to  go  out  of  our  accustomed  rule;  not  only 
that,  but  people  will  despise  whatever  caused  that  great 
extreme  to  which  they  went. 

"For  instance,  some  of  my  patients  tell  me  they  ate 
too  much  of  a  certain  article  of  food,  many  years  ago, 


212  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

and  they  have  despised  the  sight  of  it  ever  since.  So 
it  is  when  people  indulge  in  too  much  Religion  or 
Revivals — you  might  call  them  religious  frenzies — when 
they  come  to  themselves  they  will  despise  the  minister, 
churches  and  all  connected  with  the  Revival!" 

"I  think  that  is  true!"  exclaimed  Lawyer  Wisdom. 

********* 

It  was  the  day  after  The  Greatest  Revival  Day  and 
Evangelist  Harry  Noonday  came  out  of  Prof.  Mockin- 
gale's  room,  about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and 
tread  softly  and  catlike  along  the  finely  carpeted  hall 
of  the  hotel.  He  had  to  turn  an  angle  to  get  to  his 
room,  and  far  down  the  hall  he  saw  Ella  Rowe,  going 
from  room  to  room  distributing  clean  towels. 

Ella's  back  was  to  the  approaching  Evangelist,  so 
he  continued  his  catlike  tread,  until  he  passed  her  in 
a  room.  She  did  not  see  him,  as  he  turned  the  angle 
and  passed  on  toward  his  room,  which  was  in  the  other 
wing  of  the  building. 

Proceeding  down  this  hall,  Noonday  saw  Tommy, 
sitting  at  the  end  of  it  reading  a  paper,  near  a  window, 
with  his  face  the  other  way.  Tommy's  chair  was  near 
a  large  clothes  closet,  which  contained  quantities  of 
clean  bed  clothes,  sheets,  pillow  cases  and  towels,  and 
the  door  to  the  closet  was  open. 

The  Evangelist  stopped  a  moment  and  looked  up 
and  down  the  hall,  both  ways  a  moment,  and  whispered 
to  himself: 

"Now  is  my  chance!"  and  then  softly  went  into  his 
room,  that  was  several  doors  from  where  Tommy  sat 

In  a  few  moments  Ella  Rowe  came  walking  hur 
riedly  to  the  clothes  closet  and  tossed  into  Tommys 
lap  the  bunch  of  keys  that  she  opened  all  the  room 
doors  with,  saying: 

"Keep  my  keys,  Tommy  dear,  until  I  go  upstairs! 
I  have  not  finished  in  the  rooms  on  this  floor  and  I  will 
be  down  in  a  moment  to  get  some  more  towels!" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  213 

"All  right!"  said  Tommy,  putting  the  keys  into  his 
pocket,  as  Ella  went  off  down  the  hall,  and  he  went 
on  reading  his  interesting  story. 

In  a  short  time  Ella  returned  and  got  some  more 
towels.  As  she  went  back  behind  the  angle  again,  The 
Evangelist's  door  opened  and  he  put  his  head  out.  He 
saw  Tommy  sitting  in  the  same  position,  came  out 
and  softly  approached  him. 

"Oh!"  exclaimed  Tommy;  but  that  was  all  he  said, 
for  a  powerful  hand  was  over  his  mouth  and  he  was 
lifted  from  his  seat,  without  seeing  who  attacked  him, 
and  borne  into  the  clothes  closet.  In  another  moment 
Tommy  was  gagged,  a  sheet  tied  over  his  head,  his 
hands  tied  behind  him  and  shut  in  the  closet.  He 
heard  the  key  of  the  door  turn  in  the  lock  and  heard 
it  taken  out  on  the  other  side. 

Tommy  could -not  call  out,  because  he  lay  on  the 
floor,  face  downward,  with  a  napkin  stuffed  in  his 
mouth;  and,  if  he  did  call  out,  the  closet  was  so  full 
of  clothes  it  was  doubtful  that  the  sound  could  get  out. 
He  could  think  though  and  had  his  suspicions,  from  the 
size  of  the  hands  that  held  him  so  tightly,  who  it  was 
that  did  it.  He  was  a  resourceful  boy  and  said: 

"If  I  could  only  get  my  hands  loose!" 

In  the  meantime  Ella  Rowe  came  down  the  hall 
distributing  towels — all  the  doors  to  the  rooms  being 
open.  Her  arms  full  of  towels,  she  entered  The 
Evangelist's  room  and  walked  toward  the  washstand, 
when  a  large  form  stepped  from  behind  the  door  and 
seized  her. 

Ella  turned  and  started  to  scream,  but  a  towel  was 
held  over  her  mouth  and  forced  into  it.  Seeing  who 
it  was  she  struggled  violently  and  kicked,  but  he  held 
her  in  a  viselike  grip,  pushed  her  to  the  door  and  locked 
it;  then  he  lifted  her,  struggling,  from  the  floor,  car 
ried  her  to  the  bed  and  pressed  her  down  upon  it. 


214  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Tommy,  in  the  closet,  by  working  hard,  succeeded 
in  getting  his  hands  loose,  but  the  pillow-slip  was  tight 
over  his  head,  which  he  cut  off  with  his  pocket  knife. 

Recollecting  Ella's  keys,  Tommy  took  them  out  of 
his  pocket  and,  knowing  that  chambermaids'  keys  can 
open  most  any  door,  he  tried  them  on  the  closet  door; 
the  bolt  quickly  turned  and  let  him  out. 

Tommy  ran  quickly  and  softly  to  The  Evangelist's 
door  and  saw  that  it  was  closed;  but  the  next  room 
was  open,  which  he  entered.  There  was  an  iron  bed 
with  a  high  back  in  there  and  it  was  just  below  a  tran 
som.  He  took  off  his  shoes  quickly,  got  on  the  bed- 
climbed  the  head  of  the  bedstead  and  looked  through 
the  transom. 

What  did  he  see?  There  was  The  Evangelist's  large 
form,  getting  up  off  the  bed,  and  Ella  Rowe  lay  there 
with  her  eyes  closed  and  her  mouth  wide  open,  like 
she  was  dead! 

Tommy  jumped  down  and  ran  as  fast  as  he  could 
to  Mrs.  Hinsdale's  room,  in  another  wing  of  the  building. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Tommy,  you  look  so  excited?" 
asked  Mrs.  Hinsdale,  and  she  at  last  got  enough  out 
of  him  to  make  her  seize  Tommy's  hand,  and  they 
rushed  out  together.  When  Tommy  jumped  down  from 
the  bedstead  in  the  next  room,  The  Evangelist  heard 
a  slight  noise,  went  to  the  door  and  listened  carefully. 
Hearing  nothing  more,  he  opened  it  and  looked  out. 
There  was  no  one  in  sight  and  he  returned  to  the  bed, 
picked  Ella  up  in  his  arms,  went  into  the  hall,  entered 
a  room  four  doors  away  and  laid  her  on  the  floor, 
taking  the  cloth  out  of  her  mouth. 

In  a  moment  he  was  back  in  his  own  room  and 
smoothed  out  the  bed  and  all  evidences  of  a  struggle. 
He  then  took  his  hat  and  Bible  and  walked  rapidly 
toward  Prof.  Mockingale's  room.  As  he  turned  the 
angle  into  the  next  hall,  Mrs.  Hinsdale  and  Tommy, 
coming,  got  a  glimpse  of  him  in  the  distance  and  they 
hurried  toward  his  room. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  215 

When  they  reached  The  Evangelist's  room,  Tommy 
exclaimed: 

"Ella  is  gone!"  and  he  went  into  the  hall  again  and 
looked  into  other  rooms,  Mrs.  Hinsdale  fearfully  fol 
lowing  him.  All  of  a  sudden  he  saw  her  on  the  floor 
of  Room  No.  9,  rushes  to  her,  kneels  down  and  puts 
his  arm  under  her  neck  and  kisses  her,  exclaiming: 

"Poor  Ella!    Poor  Ella!" 

Mrs.  Hinsdale  followed  Tommy's  example,  only  she 
put  her  arm  around  Ella's  shoulders,  laid  her  cheek 
against  hers  and  tried  to  lift  her  up,  crying: 

"Ella!     Ella!    Wake  up,  dear!     Wake  up!" 

Without  opening  her  eyes  Ella  exclaimed,  throwing 
her  arms  about:  "Oh,  God,  have  mercy,  you  have  ruined 
me!" 

Mrs.  Hinsdale,  sobbing,  with  the  aid  of  Tommy  lifted 
her  up  and  got  her  on  the  bed  and  closed  the  door. 
She  turned  to  Tommy  and  said: 

"Run,  Tommy,  and  tell  Mr.  Hinsdale  to  come  to 
Room  9  as  soon  as  he  can.  Do  not  tell  anybody  else, 
Tommy,  and  tell  him  to  come  quickly.  You  then  run 
over  to  Dr.  Biddle's  office  and  ask  him  to  come  to  Room 
9,  as  quickly  as  possible,  but  do  not  tell  him  anything 
else.  Run,  Tommy!  Be  quick!"  and  Tommy  was  gone. 

In  a  few  moments  Dr.  Biddle  came  and  revived 
Ella  and  she  was  gotten  upstairs  to  her  room  so  quietly 
by  Frank  Hinsdale  that  no  one  in  the  hotel  noticed 
that  anything  unusual  had  happened. 

Frank  called  Tommy  into  a  room  and,  looking 
severely  at  him,  said: 

"Now,  Tommy,  you  know  mum's  the  word  in  a  hotel 
and  you  must  not  say  a  word  to  anybody  about  this!" 

"But  what's  going  to  become  of  Ella?"  exclaimed 
Tommy,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  walking  nervously  up 
and  down.  "Somebody  ought  to  kill  that  man!" 

".Oh,  I'll  attend  to  that,  Tommy,  and  see  that  Ella 
is  all  right,  too,  Tommy;  only  you  just  keep  quiet,  like 


216  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

a   good   boy,    and    say   nothing    to    anybody!"    replied 
Frank. 

Tommy  looked  at  him  suspiciously,  and  asked: 

"Are  you  going  to  have  him  arrested  and  punished? 
If  not,  I  will  not  keep  quiet!" 

"Oh,  yes,  Tommy,  I  will  see  to  all  that,  and  Ella 
shall  have  proper  attention,  also!" 

Tommy  went  out  of  the  room  very  sullenly  and 
went  downstairs,  walked  to  the  front  door  and  looked 
out.  He  saw  Snickuls  walking  along,  about  half  a  block 
away,  and,  stepping  out  on  the  sidewalk,  put  his  fingers 
to  his  mouth  and  gave  a  peculiar  whistle. 

Snickuls  stopped,  gradually,  and  cautiously  looked 
in  Tommy's  direction,  crossed  the  street,  stopped  again 
a  moment  and  then  slowly  came  toward  the  hotel. 

When  he  came  up  to  Tommy  the  latter  said  to  him 
earnestly,  in  a  low  voice: 

"Snickuls,  I  have  something  very,  very  important  to 
tell  you.  Go  to  The  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club  and  I 
will  be  there  soon!  Wait  for  me!" 

Snickuls  gave  him  a  quick,  searching  look  and 
walked  away,  saying: 

"All  right,  Tommy,"  and  Tommy  re-entered  the  hotel. 

Dr.  Biddle  had  been  some  time  with  Ella  in  her 
room  at  the  top  of  the  hotel  and,  as  he  came  out  of  her 
door,  he  muttered  to  himself: 

"Just  as  I  thought,  when  I  saw  his  mouth  and  the 
back  of  his  head!" 

A  few  paces  away  he  met  Frank  Hihsdale,  coming 
to  him,  who  asked  in  a  low  voice: 

"Well,  Doctor,  what  do  you  think?" 

The  Doctor  whispered  in  his  ear:  "There  is  no 
doubt  that  it  is  a  case  of  assault!"  and  the  two  men 
went  downstairs. 

In  their  bedroom  Mrs.  Hinsdale  was  weeping,  as 
she  talked  to  her  husband. 

"I  have — learned — to  love  El — la — like  my  own 
daugh — ter  and  you  are  not — going  to — take  her — away 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  217 

and  throw  her  out — into  the  world — in — such  a — way! 
to  go — to — destruction !" 

"You  keep  quiet,  now!"  said  Frank,  "or  we  will  have 
the  biggest  kind  of  a  scandal  in  this  hotel  and  lose 
thousands  of  dollars!  Have  you  got  no  sense?  What 
is  the  girl  to  us,  any  more  than  any  other  girl  that 
comes  along?  How  do  you  know  what  she  was  up 
to  before  she  came  here? 

"Even  if  she  were  a  perfect  Saint,  I  am  not  going 
to  let  her  be  the  means  of  ruining  my  hotel!  I  am 
going  to  take  her  out  of  this  hotel,  tonight — before  the 
scandal  gets  out,  carry  her  in  a  buggy  over  to  Jones- 
burgh,  put  her  on  the  stage,  give  her  some  money  and 
tell  her  to  go  where  she  came  from!" 

Mrs.  Hinsdale  spoke  up  again,  indignantly: 

"Frank,  that  is  dreadfully  cruel!  The  girl  has  no 
home  and  you  are  not  going  to  throw  her  out  into  the 
world,  to  go  down  to  destruction!" 

Frank  Hinsdale  replied: 

"That  is  her  own  lookout  and  she  will  have  to  find 
a  home.  I  have  my  interests  and  your  interests  to 
look  out  for,  and  I  will  not  stand  any  opposition  from 
you  in  this  matter!  It  is  going  to  be  done  as  I  say 
and,  if  you  oppose  me  in  any  way,  I  will  go  to  a  lawyer 
and  make  arrangements  for  severing  all  my  relations 
with  you!"  Mrs.  Hinsdale  threw  herself  on  the  bed, 
buried  her  face  in  a  pillow  and  wept,  and  Frank  left 
the  room — but  he  did  not  know  that  Tommy  heard  every 
word  they  said,  as  he  lay  on  the  floor  in  the  attic 
over  their  room. 

Snickuls  was  making  some  memoranda  in  his  book, 
at  the  big  table  in  The  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club,  when 
Tommy  entered  and  sat  down  opposite  to  him, 
exhausted. 

Tommy  began  and  told  Snickuls  how  he  was  seized 
in  the  hall  and  put  in  the  closet,  and  how  he  got  out. 
As  he  told  it  and  looked  at  Snickuls,  the  latter's  form 
seemed  to  grow. 


218  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Then  Tommy  described  how  he  got  up  on  the  bed 
stead,  looked  through  the  transom  and  what  he  saw. 

Tommy  was  frightened  at  Snickuls — his  form  seemed 
to  grow  so  big,  and  Snickuls  bounded  from  his  chair, 
as  if  to  rush  out,  but  Tommy  grasped  him  around  the 
neck  and  hung  to  him,  exclaiming: 

"Snickuls!  Snickuls!  Is  it  you  or  somebody  else? 
You  look  so  strange  and  so  big!" 

Snickuls  sank  into  a  chair  and  said:  "Yes,  Tommy, 
dear;  I'm  Snickuls.  Go  ahead  and  tell  me  all!" 

Tommy  told  him  all  that  had  happened  that  day  at 
the  hotel,  even  the  conversation  that  passed  between 
Frank  Hinsdale  and  his  wife,  which  he  heard  while 
in  the  attic,  when  Frank  stated  he  intended  to  take 
Ella  Rowe  that  night  over  to  Jonesburgh  and  send  her 
away. 

"Tommy,"  said  Snickuls,  "go  back  to  the  hotel,  keep 
your  eyes  open  and  meet  me  here  in  two  hours,  and  I 
will  go  and  tell  Colonel  Berry!" 

Frank  Hinsdale  was  very  diplomatic  and  politic, 
but,  whenever  he  made  up  his  mind  to  do  anything, 
everybody  around  had  to  bend  to  his  will,  and  he  did  it. 

That  night  at  one  o'clock  a  carriage  drove  up  to 
the  Ladies'  Entrance  of  the  hotel  and  Frank  came  out, 
holding  the  arm  of  a  veiled  woman. 

There  were  two  men  on  the  carriage  seat  and  one 
of  them  got  down  and  opened  the  carriage  door  for 
the  woman  to  get  in  and,  as  Frank  was  about  to  follow 
her,  he  whispered  to  the  driver: 

"I  told  your  boss  to  give  you  some  revolvers,  because 
we  have  a  long  drive  through  the  country;  have  you 
got  them?" 

"Yes,  Sir;  both  of  us!"  answered  the  man  and  in 
a  few  moments  he  got  up  on  the  carriage  seat  to  drive 
away. 

As  he  turned  his  horses  around  in  the  street,  he  saw 
a  man  on  horseback,  about  a  half  block  off,  ride  away. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  219 

Frank  Hinsdale  sat  beside  Ella  Rowe  in  the  closed 
carriage,  which  was  being  driven  very  rapidly.  She 
had  her  veil  thrown  back  and  was  weeping.  He  said: 

"Now,  Ella,  it  is  the  best  thing  to  do  for  you  and 
all  concerned!  I  will  give  you  fifty  dollars,  pay  your 
fare  on  the  stage  and  you  can  go  where  you  please!" 

"Where — shall — I  go,  Mr.  Hinsdale?"  asked  she,  with 
difficulty. 

"Why,  find  some  other  hotel  and  get  another  job!" 
exclaimed  Frank,  as  the  carriage  came  to  a  sudden 
stop,  with  a  jerk. 

As  the  driver  on  the  carriage  seat  rapidly  approached 
a  crossroad  in  a  wild  country,  they  ran  into  four  men 
on  horseback,  with  cocked  revolvers  aimed  at  them. 
The  leader  in  a  strong  voice  commanded: 

"Throw  up  your  hands  and  get  down  from  that 
seat,  both  of  you!" 

They  obeyed  quickly  and,  as  the  moon  came  out 
brightly  and  shone  on  the  face  of  the  leader,  they 
replied: 

"All  right,  Captain  Berry!" 

One  of  the  horsemen  took  their  guns.  Just  then  a 
buggy  drove  up,  with  a  single  occupant,  and  went  to 
the  side  of  the  carriage,  out  of  which  Frank  Hinsdale 
stepped,  with  drawn  revolver  and  fire  in  his  eye;  but 
it  was  no  use,  for  two  revolvers  were  thrust  close  to 
his  face,  before  he  got  out  of  the  carriage. 

The  man  in  the  buggy  spoke  in  a  deliberate  and 
determined  voice,  and  said: 

"Frank  Hinsdale,  deliver  up  that  revolver  and  tell 
Miss  Ella  Rowe  to  come  out  and  get  into  my  buggy!" 

Frank  recognized  the  voice  and  he  could  see  the 
man  in  the  buggy  now.  He  lowered  his  revolver  to 
his  side  and  exclaimed  angrily: 

"What  right  have  you,  Colonel  Berry,  to  interfere 
with  any  of  my  business?  I  am  trying  to  protect  my 
hotel  from  a  scandal!" 


220  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Colonel  Berry's  form  straightened  up  and  he  an 
swered  sternly: 

"I  will  always  make  it  my  business,  under  any  cir 
cumstances,  to  protect  a  woman  in  distress!  As  to  your 
hotel,  Frank  Hinsdale,  you  had  better  go  back  there 
and  keep  perfectly  quiet,  or,  maybe,  the  people  will 
burn  it  down  over  your  head!" 

At  this  moment  Alvin  Berry  stepped  to  Frank  Hins- 
dale's  side,  took  the  revolver  from  his  hand,  pushed 
him  away  from  the  carriage  door,  looked  in  and  spoke: 

"Miss  Ella,  come  out,  please!" 

Ella  Rowe  took  Alvin's  proffered  hand  of  assistance 
and  her  hand  trembled  violently,  as  she  put  her  hand 
in  his.  She  was  soon  seated  in  Colonel  Berry's  buggy, 
while  Frank  Hinsdale  stood  doggedly  by — the  two 
coachmen  and  three  horsemen  looking  on. 

"Now,  Frank  Hinsdale,"  said  Colonel  Berry,  "we 
will  leave  you.  Better  drive  back  quickly  to  your  hotel, 
before  it  gets  daylight,  and  keep  perfectly  quiet  about 
the  whole  matter.  As  far  as  this  adventure  is  con 
cerned,  nobody  will  hear  anything  from  us!  Good 
night!" 

Colonel  Berry's  buggy  drove  away,  followed  by  the 

horsemen. 

*  ******** 

Judge  Elmira  Sims  had  a  fit  of  indigestion  and  he 
had  tossed  about  in  his  bed  most  all  night,  trying  to 
sleep;  but  the  indigestion  got  the  better  of  him  and  he 
got  up  and  sat  on  the  side  of  the  bed. 

Just  then  he  heard  a  buggy  drive  up  to  his  door  and 
he  looked  out  the  window.  A  tall  man  got  out  of  the 
buggy  and  helped  a  veiled  lady  out.  There  was  a  man 
on  horseback  near  by,  also. 

The  moon  was  bright  and  shone  on  the  man  and 
his  companion  as  they  approached  The  Judge's  front 
door,  who  said  to  himself: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  221 

"Can  that  be  Colonel  Berry?  It  looks  like  him! 
Something  very  important  must  have  happened  to  bring 
him  out  and  here  this  time  of  night!" 

In  a  moment  the  bell  rang,  The  Judge  slipped  on 
his  dressing  gown  and  went  to  the  door,  and  when  he 
saw  it  was  The  Colonel,  invited  him  in  cordially,  who 
was  followed  by  Ella  Rowe. 

The  three  talked  together  for  about  an  hour,  when, 
after  changing  his  clothes,  The  Judge  went  out  with 

them  into  the  night. 

********* 

Tommy  Dust  was  up  very  early  next  morning  and 
stood  at  the  door  of  the  hotel.  He  saw  four  great 
policemen  approach,  one  of  whom  he  recognized  as 
The  Chief  of  Police,  who  motioned  to  the  others. 

The  Chief  came  up  to  the  front  door  and  the  others 
went  to  different  entrances  and  stood  there,  as  he 
addressed  Tommy,  whom  he  knew,  in  a  low  voice, 
saying: 

"Tommy,  can  you  show  me  Evangelist  Harry  Noon 
day's  room?" 

Tommy  knew  at  once  what  he  wanted  and  gladly 
answered: 

"Yes,  it's  number  5.  Come  with  me  and  I'll  knock 
and  tell  him  there's  a  telegram  for  him,  and  he'll  open 
the  door!"  Mr.  Hinsdale  was  not  up  yet  and  Tommy 
took  The  Chief  to  the  next  story  and  then  to  number  5. 
Knocking  hard  on  the  door,  he  called  out  loudly: 

"Telegram   for  Rev.   Harry   Noonday!" 

"All  right!"  answered  a  strong  voice,  "wait  a 
minute!" 

Tommy  winked  at  The  Chief,  who  stood  close  to 
the  door,  and,  when  it  was  opened,  he  pushed  himself 
in,  taking  out  a  paper  and  saying: 

"I  have  a  warrant  for  your  arrest,  Mr.  Noonday, 
and  you  will  please  dress  and  come  along  with  me!" 

Evangelist  Noonday  turned  pale,  but  recovered  him 
self  and  exclaimed,  with  an  indignant  air: 


222  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Arrest  for  me?     That  must  be  some  mistake!" 

The  Chief  answered: 

"That  is  what  the  warrant  says." 

"Well,  you  have  got  the  wrong  man!  There  must 
be  some  other  man  by  that  name!"  said  Harry  Noonday. 

"The  Chief:  "You  are  Harry  Noonday,  Evangelist, 
are  you  not?" 

Harry  Noonday:    "Yes." 

The  Chief:  "Well,  you  are  the  man;  dress  yourself 
and  come  along!" 

Noonday:  "Why,  that  is  perfectly  preposterous! 
What?  I  under  arrest?  What  for?" 

The  Chief:  "The  charge  is — Assault  on  a  woman, 
named  Ella  Rowe." 

Noonday:  "I  never  saw  or  heard  of  such  a  woman! 
What?  A  minister  of  the  Gospel  and  a  man  of  my 
standing  can  be  arrested  on  such  a  charge,  by  some 
low-down  woman?  That  is  an  outrage!" 

The  Chief:  "Oh,  that  is  not  so  very  uncommon! 
I  have  arrested  quite  a  number  of  preachers — on  the 
same  charge — during  the  twenty  years  I  have  been  an 
officer. 

"But  if  you  have  any  argument,  you  will  have  to 
argue  with  The  Judge;  so  put  on  your  things  and  go 
with  me!" 

Noonday:  "I  will  not  go  from  this  room!  You  have 
got  the  wrong  man!" 

The  Chief:  "Well,  you  are  a  pretty  strong  looking 
man;  but  I  can  take  you  all  the  same!  The  only  trouble 
is  I  would  have  to  injure  you  in  some  way,  and  pos 
sibly  might  have  to  shoot  you.  Alive  or  dead,  though, 
you  have  got  to  go! 

"Tommy,  go  down  and  tell  those  officers,  around  the 
hotel,  to  come  up  here!" 

Tommy  went  and  in  a  few  minutes  three  great 
policemen  entered  the  room  and  Tommy  stood  in  the 
door. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  223 

The  Chief:  "Now,  Mr.  Noonday,  here  are  four  of 
us  and  I  guess  we  can  easily  take  you!  I  do  not  want 
to  injure  you;  but  if  you  do  not  dress  immediately  and 
come  right  along,  we  will  handcuff  you  and  carry  you 
out,  just  like  you  are!  Will  you  go?" 

The  Evangelist  looked  at  the  officers,  sullenly,  and 
grumbled  out: 

Noonday:  "Well,  I  guess  I  will  have  to  go;  but,  as 
soon  as  I  get  an  attorney,  somebody  will  pay  for  this 
outrage!" 

The  Chief:  "That  is  all  right,  Mr.  Noonday;  you  can 
fight  that  out  with  The  Judge.  We  are  officers  of  the 
law  and  it  is  our  duty  to  arrest  you." 

He  here  turned  to  the  other  officers  and  said: 

"Men,  I  do  not  want  to  humiliate  this  man  any  more 
than  necessary.  Go  down  to  the  street  and  keep  a 
reason-able  distance  from  us.  I  do  not  think  he  is  going 
to  give  me  any  more  trouble;  will  you,  Mr.  Noonday?" 
The  Evangelist  answered  sullenly: 

Noonday:  "I  will  go  with  you,"  and  the  three  offi 
cers  and  Tommy  went  downstairs, 

In  about  fifteen  minutes  The  Chief  of  Police  came 
out  of  the  Main  Entrance  of  The  Hinsdale  Hotel,  accom 
panied  by  a  man  in  an  ordinary  business  suit. 

It  was  Evangelist  Harry  Noonday,  who  was  ashamed 
to  wear  his  clerical  hat,  white  necktie  and  long  coat. 
Nobody  recognized  him,  as  he  walked  along  to  Judge 
Elmira  Sims'  office,  who  sent  him  to  jail,  for  attention 
of  the  Grand  Jury,  which  was  then  in  session. 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Lucy  Hurryup  had  called  a  special  meeting  of  The 
W.  C.  T.  U.,  to  be  held  at  nine  o'clock,  sharp.  At  that 
meeting  it  was  her  plan  to  inaugurate  an  extraordinary 
aggressive  movement  against  the  Liquor  Trade  in  the 
city  and  county,  before  the  approaching  election  for 
Mayor  and  other  city  officials. 

She  was  to  lay  her  plans  before  the  principle  female 
(and  male)  members  of  The  Union.  There  were  some 


224  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

male  members  of  The  Union,  such  as  the  ministers  of 
the  city  and  county,  Mayor  Homer,  Major  Ashcraft 
(with  a  barrel  of  money)  and  Deacon  Going. 

Before  the  time  of  the  meeting,  in  front  of  the  great 
hall  door,  quite  a  number  of  the  women  members  were 
talking  in  groups  about  The  Revival  and  the  number 
of  new  members  the  success  of  the  great  religious 
upheaval  had  added  to  the  Prohibition  ranks.  Lucy 
approached,  talking  demonstratively  to  Rev.  Peter 
Nostir,  and  they  were  both  greeted  by  the  different 
groups  cordially. 

Their  conversations  were  interrupted  in  a  few 
moments  by  newsboys,  who  came  running  along  the 
street,  crying: 

"Extra!  Extra!  Buy  The  Clarion!  Stupendous 
Outrage!" 

Rev.  Nostir  and  several  others  took  a  paper  each 
and  read: 

STUPENDOUS  OUTRAGE! 


Evangelist    Harry    Noonday    Arrested     and     In    Jail! 
Plot  Supposed  to  be  Hatched  by  Liquor  Interests. 


"One  of  the  most  colossal  outrages  that  the  com 
munity  has  ever  seen  was  perpetrated  this  morning! 
Police  officers  entered  The  Hinsdale  Hotel,  about  sun 
rise,  dragged  Evangelist  Harry  Noonday  out  of  bed  and 
landed  him  in  jail.  They  claim  they  held  a  warrant, 
issued  out  of  Judge  Elmira  Sims'  Court,  on  the  affidavit 
of  a  servant  girl,  charging  assault  by  Evangelist  Harry 
Noonday. 

"We  do  not  wish  to  reflect  on  Judge  Elmira  Sims  in 
the  slightest,  as  to  authority,  dignity,  right  and  integ 
rity;  but  it  does  seem  outrageous  that  a  common  servant 
girl  can  be  put  up  to  swearing  to  such  things,  as  will 
land  one  of  the  most  upright,  zealous  and  pious  servants 
of  The  Lord  in  jail. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  225 

"The  evidences  of  holiness;  the  evidences  of  con 
secration  and  the  evidences  of  the  welfare  for  the 
erring,  displayed  by  Evangelist  Harry  Noonday,  not 
considering  the  wonderful  amount  of  good  he  has  done 
in  saving  souls  in  the  last  few  weeks,  cry  out  against 
and  disprove  the  declaration  of  this  girl! 

"But  there  are  people  and  interests  in  this  city  that 
are  ever  ready  to  lay  traps  and  pitfalls  for  the  right 
eous,  and  the  people  have  learned  to  know  who  they 
are;  and  if  the  people  do  not  take  some  pretty  strong 
action  against  them  now,  they  will  in  the  next  election, 
which  is  very  near! 

"How  long,  0  Lord?" 

Those  who  read  the  papers  seemed  thunderstruck 
and  dazed  for  a  moment,  and  the  papers  were  grabbed 
and  passed  around  and  the  newsboy  sold  everyone  he 
had.  Then  the  storm  came  and  the  women  went  per 
fectly  wild. 

Lucy  flew  from  group  to  group,  crying: 

"To  arms!     Rouse  the  city!     Enter  every  house  and 

proclaim  the  outrage!    We  must  release  the  Servant  of 

God!" 

Some  of  the  women  went  screaming;  some  had  the 
hysterics,  and  some,  who  did  not  know  what  to  do, 
just  jumped  up  and  down. 

Rev.  Peter  Nostir  was  the  most  affected  of  all,  and 
reasonably  so.  He  initiated  the  movement  that  brought 
The  Evangelist  to  the  city  and  was  his  most  prominent 
upholder  while  he  was  carrying  on  The  Revival  meet 
ings,  and  they  were  held  at  his  church. 

If  the  charges  against  Harry  Noonday  were  true or 

not  true— they  came  as  a  staggering  blow  to  all  of  Rev. 
Nostir's  efforts  at  his  church  in  the  last  few  weeks,  and 
he  could  see  the  disaster  it  would  produce  to  all  con 
cerned.  He  sank  down  on  his  knees  and  felt  a  burden 
on  him  that  only  a  higher  power  could  remove;  and 
lifting  up  his  voice,  in  the  most  sincere  words,  he  cried 
in  the  voice  of  The  Psalmist: 


226  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"O  Lord,  my  God,  in  Thee  do  I  put  my  Trust!  Save 
me  from  all  those  that  persecute  me,  and  deliver  me!" 

But  the  ma  i  who  knelt  by  his  side,  in  a  pious  atti 
tude,  had  a  diTerent  feeling— or  no  feeling  at  all— and 
Deacon  Going's  "A — a — men!"  was  the  loudest  of  them 
all. 

The  news  spread  like  wildfire  through  the  city  and 
the  arrest  of  The  Evangelist  was  indignantly  condemned 
in  most  every  house,  which  was  increased  by  the  vio 
lence  of  The  W.  C.  T.  U.  members. 

Mrs.  Bowink  and  Henrietta  Ashcraft  were  at  The 
Post  Office,  whore  they  bought  an  extra  and  read  the 
news  about  the  arrest.  Neither  said  anything  for  some 
time;  but,  after  they  had  gotten  into  the  carriage  and 
were  driven  away,  Mrs.  Bowink  leaned  over  and  said: 

"Henrietta,  I  have  seen  a  great  deal  of  society,  and 
I  am  of  the  opinion  that  ministers  are  just  as  fond  of 
women  as  any  other  class  of  men." 

There  was  quite  an  ugly  feeling  developed  in  the 
city  against  the  authorities  and  the  wildest  accounts 
circulated  through  the  county  among  the  country  peo 
ple,  whose  ministers  told  them  that  the  Liquor  men 
had  entered  the  church,  dragged  The  Evangelist  out  of 
the  pulpit  and  thrown  him  into  jail,  without  trial;  and 
they  armed  themselves  and  came  to  town  in  bunches 
with  their  ministers,  prepared  to  liberate  The  Evangel 
ist  by  force. 

Judge  Elmira  Sims  had  foreseen  the  feeling  that  the 
arrest  would  create,  and  had  whispered  in  Colonel 
Berry's  ear  to  have  Captain  Berry  drill  his  troops  on 
The  Mall  that  day;  for  he  thought  that  the  sight  of 
The  Berry  Zouaves  would  have  a  very  salutary  effect 
on  the  people;  and  it  did,  for,  when  the  belligerent  city 
men,  country  men,  W.  C.  T.  U.  women  and  all  those 
who  had  any  intentions  toward  violence  in  delivering 
The  Evangelist  from  jail  glanced  over  at  The  Mall  and 
saw  Captain  Berry  drilling  two  hundred  perfect  sol- 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  227 

diers,  they  recollected  how  he  subdued  the  strikers, 
and  when  they  heard  the  command: 

"Fix  Bayonets!"  they  thought  how  dreadful  it  would 
be  to  have  those  bayonets  coming  after  them  and  the 
courage  all  oozed  out  of  them,  and  they  thought  they 
would  let  the  law  take  its  course. 

Yet  there  was  considerable  feeling  among  the  people, 
especially  The  Prohibitionists  and,  on  account  of  the 
thrashing  Colonel  Berry  and  Captain  Berry  had  given 
the  strikers,  large  numbers  of  that  class  of  people  sym 
pathized  with  and  joined  The  Prohibition  Party. 

The  Grand  Jury  indicted  Harry  Noonday  and  Judge 
Elmira  Sims  said  he  would  try  the  case  next  week. 

Confined  in  the  same  cell  that  Captain  Berry  had 
occupied,  Harry  Noonday  sent  for  I.  L.  Appeal,  to  act 
as  his  attorney,  who  had  recently  resigned  the  position 
of  Prosecuting  Attorney,  and  I.  C.  Wisdom  had  been 
appointed  in  his  place. 

"I  understand  that  the  Rowe  girl  has  disappeared; 
but  The  Prosecuting  Attorney,  Mr.  Wisdom,  says  she 
will  surely  be  here  at  your  trial.  Do  you  think  she 
would  accept  a  money  consideration?  or  could  she 
be  induced  to  leave  The  State  by  some  means?"  asked 
Lawyer  Appeal  of  his  client,  Harry  Noonday,  in  his  cell. 

Harry  Noonday:  "I  hardly  think  so;  but  do  not 
know.  I  would  give  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  if 
necessary,  to  get  rid  of  her!" 

Lawyer  Appeal:  "Well,  you  sign  this  check  for 
$5,000  now,  and  I  will  see  what  I  can  do — if  I  can  find 
her.  If  she  cannot  be  bought  off,  maybe  she  can  be 
kidnaped." 

At  a  small  table  the  lawyer  wrote  out  a  check  and 
Noonday  signed  it,  and  then  the  lawyer  continued: 

"Of  course  there  is  no  one  can  hear  us.  I  know 
of  several  tough  characters,  who  would  do  most  any 
thing  for  a  little  money;  but  it  is  a  delicate  matter  and 
will  have  to  be  handled  very  carefully.  Is  there  any 
one  else  whom  you  fear?" 


228  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Noonday:  "Yes,  there  is  that  boy  at  the  hotel— -> 
Tommy.  I  am  afraid  he  is  going  to  swear  against  me, 
fend  I  would  like  to  get  him  out  of  the  way,  if  I  could. 
He  could  be  kidnaped  very  easily,  I  think." 
'•»•  Lawyer  Appeal  got  up  from  his  seat  to  leave  and 
said: 

Lawyer  Appeal:  "Well,  the  first  thing  is  to  get  at 
Ella  Rowe,  and  I  will  report  right  away,"  and  he  left 
the  cell. 

On  the  morning  that  Ella  Rowe  made  her  affidavit 
before  Judge  Elmira  Sims,  Colonel  Berry  took  her  early 
to  his  home,  where  Mrs.  Berry  was  very  sympathetic 
and  kind  to  her. 

:.  That  night,  about  one  o'clock,  a  buggy,  accompanied 
by  a  man  on  horseback,  drove  carefully  into  the  great 
feerry  Brewery  yard  or  enclosure.  A  large  man  stepped 
out  from  the  shadows  of  the  huge  walls  and  took  hold 
of  the  horse's  bridle,  exclaiming: 

"I  am  here,  Colonel  Berry!" 

The  Colonel  got  out  of  the  buggy  and  helped  a 
veiled  woman  to  alight.  It  was  Ella  Rowe  and  the 
horseman  was  Alvin  Berry,  who  got  off  his  horse, 
handed  the  bridle  to  the  watchman  and  followed  his 
father  and  Ella  Rowe  up  some  steps  and  then  into  a 
small  office  in  the  building,  which  was  well  filled  up 
to  show  off  samples  of  beers. 

A  stout  elderly  man  arose  from  a  chair,  where  he 
sat  half  asleep,  and  when  he  saw  The  Colonel  and 
klvin,  gave  a  military  salute. 

"We  wish  to  descend,  Caleb!"  said  The  Colonel. 

Caleb  fumbled  in  his  pocket,  pulled  out  a  very  thin, 
flat  key  and  stepped  up  to  a  huge  cask  that  protruded 
from  the  wall,  which  was  ostensibly  placed  there  for 
an  ornament  or  an  advertisement  for  Beer,  and  he  put 
the  key  into  the  side  of  the  cask  and  turned  it.  A  kind 
bf  oval  door  opened  ontwards. 

The  Colonel  stepped  into  the  cask  and  was  followed 
by  Ella  Rowe  and  Alvin  and  the  door  closed  behind 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  229 

them.  Down,  down  they  went  on  winding  stone  steps, 
flight  after  flight,  passing  floor  after  floor,  until  a  door 
obstructed  their  progress. 

Colonel  Berry  pulled  a  bell  and  the  door  was  oponed 
by  a  fat  woman  of  genial  face,  who  made  a  low  bow 
to  The  Colonel  and  Alvin.  Turning  to  Ella  ColoneJ 
Berry  said: 

"Miss  Ella,  you  can  take  off  your  veil  now,  for  you 
are  among  friends.  This  is  Mrs.  Jonquil.  She  and  her 
daughter  will  take  care  of  you  until  the  day  of  the 
trial!" 

Ella  threw  back  her  veil  and  looked  at  Mrs.  Jonquil 
with  pathetic  eyes,  who  exclaimed: 

"What  a  pretty  face!"  and,  stepping  up  to  Ella,  took 
her  hand  and  led  her  from  the  hall  into  a  nicely  fur 
nished  parlor,  where  The  Colonel,  Alvin  and  Ella  sat 
down.  In  a  few  minutes  a  nice  looking  girl  of  sixteen 
entered,  bearing  a  tray,  on  which  were  cups  of  choco* 
late. 

Lawyer  Appeal  was  in  his  office  writing  and  a  knock 
came  on  the  door.  He  opened  it  and  admitted  a  thin, 
wiry  looking  man  of  medium  size,  who  took  a  chair 
as  if  very  tired.  5 

"A  half  dozen  men  of  our  Detective  Agency  have 
looked  The  County  over  and  we  cannot  find  where 
Ella  Rowe  is!  The  only  clue  that  we  have  is  that  she 
was  at  Colonel  Berry's  home  on  the  morning  of  the 
day  when  The  Evangelist  was  arrested!"  said  The 
Detective. 

Lawyer  Appeal  replied  in  a  confidential  tone: 

"Well,  keep  up  the  search  and  you  will  be  well  paid 
for  it.  She  is  out  in  the  country,  somewhere,  I  guess! 
I  want  you  to  go  right  away  and  attend  to  that  other 
matter,  also!"  , 

The  visitor  arose  and  said: 

"All  right,  Sir!"  and  went  out. 


230  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Snickuls  sat  in  Berry  Saloon  No.  19,  in  the  outskirts 
of  the  city,  at  a  table  way  back  in  the  rear.  He  said 
to  himself:  "That  is  the  fifth  glass  of  beer  and  I  guess 
I  will  go," 

As  he  said  that  he  saw  Joe  Ganzel  and  one  of  his 
pals  enter  at  the  saloon  door  way  out  in  front. 

Every  table  in  the  saloon  was  taken,  but  there  were 
two  seats  vacant  at  Snickuls'  table  and  he  knew  that 
the  two  men  were  headed  for  those  two  seats. 

Joe  was  the  bad  man,  or  terror,  of  the  county* 
Though  he  had  been  in  innumerable  fights,  robberies 
and  drunks,  Joe  was  out  of  jail  most  of  the  time  and 
seemed  to  get  money  from  somewhere,  occasionally. 

Snickuls  knew  Joe  from  afar,  for  he  had  a  scar  on 
his  forehead,  made  by  a  hatchet  from  the  hands  of  an 
infuriated  woman;  a  bullet  hole  in  his  cheek,  received 
while  burglarizing  a  house,  and  his  nose  was  broken 
from  a  fight  with  a  policeman. 

But,  physically,  Joe  was  not  afraid  to  do  anything 
bad,  if  he  made  up  his  mind,  and  he  was  the  accepted 
leader  of  a  gang  of  toughs  in  The  County. 

As  Joe  and  his  companion  approached,  Snickuls 
could  see  that  they  were  pretty  full  of  Liquor  and  he 
pretended  that  he  was  fast  asleep,  when  they  took  seats 
at  his  table. 

"What  yer — goin'  ter  hev — this  time — Joe?  Yer've — 
drunk  er— whole  quart— er  whisky  already— ter  night!" 
asked  Joe's  companion. 

Joe  answered: 

Joe:  "Whisky's— good  er  nuf— fer  me.  Git— some 
more — an' — plenty  uv  it!" 

Joe's  Companion — "Where'd  yer  git — so  much — cash? 
Yer  seem  ter — be — flush  ter  day!" 

Joe:  "Ther  De — tective  said  I — cud— hev  all  I  want-^ 
if  I'd  do  one— thing— fur  him!  He  wud— give  me 
$1,000— if  I'd  do  it." 

Here  Snickuls'  ears  pricked  up,  but  he  pretended  to 
be  sound  asleep. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE      .        231 

Joe's  Companion:  "Gee! — that's  lots  er  money! 
Want  any— help?  Wat  yer— got— ter  do?" 

Joe:  "I'll  hev — to  heve  some — help — an'  I'll — give 
yer — two  fifty  ef  yer'll — help  me!" 

Joe's  Companion:  "Wat's — up?" 

Joe:  "Ther  Detect — ive  wants  me  ter  kidnap — that 
boy  at— Hinsdale  Hotel!" 

Joe  spoke  in  a  low,  confidential  tone.  Snickuls 
snored,  but  he  heard  every  word,  though  he  almost 
jumped  from  his  chair  at  Joe's  last  words. 

Joe's  Companion:    "Wat's  his — name?" 

Joe:  "Tommy— that's  all  I— know.  Ef  I  kid— nap— 
him  an'  keep  him  away — from — Batesville  fur — two 
months — somewhere — in  hiding — I'll  git  $1,000 — ! 

"I  see  him — on — ther  streets  at — night — er  good — 
many  times.  We'll  git  er — wagon — grab  him  an — drive 
off — with  him  somewhere!" 

The  conversation  ceased,  for  the  waiter  came  with 
Joe's  order  of  whisky  and  placed  it  on  the  table.  The 
two  men  drank  two  glasses  of  whisky  each,  arose  with 

difficulty  and  staggered  out  of  the  saloon. 

********* 

In  her  subterranean  bedroom  Ella  Rowe  sat,  list 
ening  to  Mrs.  Jonquil  read  a  book,  when  the  bell  to  the 
stairs  door  rang.  Mrs.  Jonquil  hastened  and  opened 
it  and  Alvin  Berry  entered,  followed  by  Snickuls  and 
Tommy. 

When  Tommy  saw  Ella  he  ran  to  her  and  kissed  her 
and  she  put  her  arms  around  him  and  caressed  him. 
In  a  few  moments  Alvin  Berry  said: 

"Now,  Tommy,  Snickuls  and  I  will  go  and  leave  you 
with   Mrs.   Jonquil   and   Ella   for   a   week.     You   know 
why."     Tommy   answered:    "All   right!"   and   the   two 
men  departed. 
********* 

Frank  Hinsdale  declared  that  he  never  had  anything 
happen  that  disarranged  his  hotel  so  much  as  the  dis 
appearance  of  Tommy.  Nevertheless  he  thought  it  best 


232         .     COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

to  say  nothing  about  it,  for  he  had  a  sort  of  suspicion 
that  he  was  in  good  hands  and  that  the  Ella  Rowe  case 
had  something  to  do  with  it. 

One  thing  that  struck  in  Frank's  mind  forcibly  was 
that  several  times  some  vicious  looking  boys  came  into 
the  hotel;  such  boys  as  Tommy  never  associated  with, 
and  they  inquired  where  he  was.  Frank  followed  one 
of  these  boys  several  blocks  one  day  and  saw  him  stop 
in  an  alley  and  enter  into  conversation  with  two  dis 
reputable  looking  men — which  set  him  to  thinking  very 
deeply,  and  the  more  he  thought  the  tighter  his  lips 
were  held. 

The  day  for  the  trial  of  the  Great  Evangelist  had 
come.  People  flocked  to  the  Court  House  from  twenty- 
five  miles  around,  and  so  dense  was  the  crowd  that  a 
large  force  of  police  had  to  push  them  back,  as  they 
pushed  and  crowded  toward  the  Court  House  for  sev 
eral  blocks  around. 

But  none  of  them  could  get  into  The  Court  House, 
because  Judge  Elmira  Sims  declared  that  he  would  not 
admit  the  Public  into  the  Court  Room,  on  account  of 
the  delicacy  of  the  Assault  case. 

Outside  of  the  Court  officials,  lawyers  and  jury,  only 
a  very  few  citizens  would  be  admitted. 

By  a  secret  request  of  The  Judge,  The  Berry  Zou 
aves  had  a  drill  on  The  Mall  that  morning,  ostensibly 
for  the  reason  that  they  were  going  soon  to  a  neigh 
boring  State  to  take  part  in  a  competitive  drill,  for  a 
prize;  but  really  for  the  reason  that  The  Judge  and 
Sheriff  feared  there  would  be  an  attempt  to  rescue  The 
Evangelist  and  they  could  call  on  the  military  at  a 
moment's  notice  to  help  enforce  the  law. 

At  ten  o'clock  a  large  number  of  heavy  policemen, 
with  the  prisoner,  Evangelist  Harry  Noonday,  in  their 
midst,  pushed  their  way  through  the  crowd  and 
approached  the  Court  House  with  drawn  sticks. 

Some  of  the  rougher  element  in  the  crowd  shouted: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  233 

"Down  with  ther  damn  cops!"  and  "Hurrah  for 
Harry  Noonday!"  but,  though  very  sullen  in  their  looks, 
the  better  element  said  nothing. 

Harry  was  very  pale,  looked  thin  and  was  dressed 
in  his  full  clerical  garb,  in  order  to  get  all  the  sym 
pathy  from  the  ministers  and  church  party  that  he 
could. 

As  the  days  had  gone  by  and  his  lawyer  could  not 
find  Ella  Rowe,  and  then  Tommy  had  disappeared 
mysteriously,  also,  he  began  to  have  a  very  shaky  feel 
ing  come  over  him,  and  thought  to  himself  that  even 
one  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  Government  Bonds 
could  not  protect  him. 

When  he  was  taken  into  the  Court  Room  and  was 
seated  by  the  Bailiffs  on  the  prisoners'  bench  there 
was  no  sympathetic  crowd  to  admire  and  bow  down 
to  his  clericalism;  there  were  only  empty  benches.  But 
over  there,  seated  by  The  Prosecuting  Attorney,  I.  G. 
Wisdom,  sat  a  woman  heavily  veiled,  and  by  her  side 
Tommy  Dust.  He  knew  the  woman  was  Ella  Rowe,  and 
when  Lawyer  Wisdom  whispered  to  her,  she  lifted  her 
veil  and  looked  down  modestly. 

The  heart  of  The  Evangelist  sank  within  him,  as 
he  thought  of  the  crowds  all  over  the  country  he  had 
so  often  lifted  up  to  the  highest  pitch  of  religious  excite 
ment  and  swayed  their  minds  like  the  leaves  in  the 
wind!  But  what  good  did  it  do  him  now,  for  in  a  short 
while,  under  the  gentle  and  tactful  questions  of  The 
Prosecuting  Attorney,  Ella  Rowe  told  her  story  of 
humiliation  and  The  Judge  and  Jury,  looking  on  that 
sad  and  pretty  face,  believed  her. 

Then  Tommy,  on  the  stand,  told  how  he  was  locked 
in  the  closet  and  what  he  saw,  when  he  got  out,  through 
the  transom. 

Frank  Hinsdale,  Mrs.  Hinsdale  and  Dr.  Biddle  were 
called  as  witnesses  for  The  State. 

The  only  witness  the  Defense  had  was  Prof.  Mock- 
ingale,  who  declared  positively  that  Harry  Noonday 


234  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

was  in  his  room  with  him,  when  the  Assault  was 
claimed  to  have  taken  place. 

The  Professor's  declaration  was  offset,  in  rebuttal, 
by  The  Prosecuting  Attorney  in  a  statement  from  Mrs. 
Hinsdale  and  Tommy,  saying  that  they  saw  The  Evan 
gelist  hastily  leaving  his  own  room  a  moment  before 
he  claimed  to  be  in  Prof.  Mockingale's  room. 

The  trial  lasted  a  very  short  time  and  the  Jury, 
after  having  been  out  only  one-half  hour,  brought  in 
a  verdict  of  —"Guilty!" 

The  next  day  Judge  Elmira  Sims  sentenced  Harry 
Noonday  to  ten  years  in  The  Penitentiary. 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

It  was  midnight  and,  as  the  moon  stole  through  the 
trees  of  Colonel  Berry's  beautiful  premises,  a  carriage 
drove  up  carefully  before  his  door,  accompanied  by 
four  horsemen  heavily  armed. 

In  a  few  minutes  three  figures  came  down  the  walk 
from  his  residence  and  arrived  at  the  side  of  the  car 
riage.  It  was  Colonel  Berry,  Alvin  Berry  and  Ella 
Rowe — the  last  of  whom  was  weeping.  The  Colonel 
opened  the  carriage  door  for  her  and  she  held  out  her 
hand  to  him  and  his  son,  who  grasped  it  warmly.  She 
said: 

"God — bless  you — and — pros — per  you,  Colonel,  and 
you — Captain  Berry!"  and  then  she  got  into  the  carriage. 

"All  right!"  said  The  Colonel  to  the  coachman  and 
mounted  men  and  they  drove  away. 

Two  days  later  the  party  came  up  to  a  great  Stock 
Farm;  over  the  entrance  was  painted  in  large  letters: 
Berry  Stock  Farm  and  Dairy. 

Into  the  premises  the  carriage  and  horsemen  went. 
As  far  as  they  could  see  lay  before  them  fine  meadows, 
occupied  by  horses  and  cattle. 

"Where  is  the  house  of  Mr.  Brisbane,  the  overseer, 
please?"  asked  the  leader  of  the  horsemen  of  a  man 
in  overalls  approaching.  The  latter  pointed  to  a  large, 
fine  house  in  the  distance,  to  which  they  went. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  235 

Mr.  Brisbane  very  politely  helped  the  occupant  of 
the  carriage  out  and  escorted  her  into  the  parlor  and, 
when  seated,  she  handed  him  a  note,  which  read: 
"Dear  Mr.  Brisbane: 

"You  have  several  times  spoken  to  me  about  getting 
you  a  Matron  for  The  Dairy.  I  hereby  introduce  to 
you  Mrs.  Muriel  Campbell,  who  has  not  long  since  lost 
her  husband  by  having  some  barrels  of  whisky  fall 
on  him  in  my  Distillery. 

"Please  make  her  Matron  of  The  Dairy,  with  a  good 
salary,  and  show  her  the  utmost  courtesy. 

"Yours  truly, 

"HENRY  BERRY." 

Mr.  Brisbane  treated  Ella  Rowe  so  kindly  and 
showed  her  so  much  courtesy  that  she  became  Mr*. 
Brisbane  inside  of  a  year  and,  as  time  flitted  away, 
many  children  came  to  their  happy  home. 

Frank  Hinsdale  really  embraced  Tommy  Dust,  when 
he  came  back  to  the  hotel,  and  said  that  it  seemed  like 
a  new  place  since  his  arrival,  and  there  was  a  regular 
jollification  at  The  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club  that  night. 

The  Church  and  Prohibition  Party  in  Batesville  and 
vicinity  received  a  dreadful  blow  when  Harry  Noonday 
was  convicted — as  so-called  religion  did  get  all  over 
the  country — and  true  religion,  which  is  the  result  of 
deliberate  reason  and  judgment,  not  of  excitement,  had 
to  bear  the  burden  and  suffer  for  it. 

Most  everyone  who  went  up  to  The  Mourners'  Bench 
at  The  Revival  and  exhibited  Religious  Phrensy  in  any 
way  during  Noonday's  preaching  said  in  his  heart: 

"What  a  fool  I  was  to  be  so  carried  away  by  that 
man!"  and  those  who  had  so  recklessly  thrown  their 
personal  property  and  money  into  the  contribution  box 
were  sorry  for  it;  and  some  of  the  husbands  of  the 
women  who  had  put  their  diamonds,  rings,  watches  and 
other  valuables  into  the  plates  and  baskets  threatened 


236  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

to  sue  Dr.  Nostir  and  his  church  for  obtaining  money 
under  false  pretenses. 

Dr.  Nostir's  conscience  rather  leaned  that  way,  also. 
When  they  began  to  make  it  hot  for  him,  he  called  a 
meeting  of  The  Deacons  and  asked  them  if,  under  the 
circumstances,  they  ought  not  to  return  all  those 
watches,  diamonds,  rings  and  other  valuables  donated 
at  the  Revival  meetings,  that  Harry  Noonday  had  not 
carried  off  as  his  share,  amounting  to  about  $5,000  in 
value,  to  their  owners. 

Major  Ashcraft  and  others  said  they  certainly  would 
return  the  property;  but  Deacon  Going  privately  whis 
pered  into  Rev.  Nostir's  ear: 

"Turn  them  over  to  me  and  I  will  keep  them  for 
you.  You  just  tell  the  ones  who  are  making  a  fuss 
that  The  Evangelist  carried  them  away!" 

Rev.  Peter  Nostir  was  a  good  man,  at  heart,  though 
he  had  many  faults,  and  he  caused  a  meeting  to  be 
held  at  his  church,  at  which  he  invited  the  people,  who 
had  contributed  articles,  to  come  up  to  the  table,  below 
the  pulpit,  identify  their  property  and  take  it. 

Somehow  or  other  Dr.  Nostir  never  thought  as  much 
of  Deacon  Going  after  that  as  he  did  before;  but  all 
the  same  at  the  meetings  of  the  Saints,  in  public  or 
private,  when  prayer  and  supplications  were  made, 
Deacon  Going's  "A — a — men!"  was  the  loudest  of  them 
all. 

"Snickuls,  tomorrow  is  Election  Day  and  you  just 
ought  to  see  the  carriages  those  women  have  got  hired, 
to  take  people  to  the  polls  to  get  them  to  vote!"  said 
Tommy  to  Snickuls  at  The  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club. 

Snickuls  was  pretty  full  that  night  and  replied  to 
Tommy: 

"Yes — Tom — my — hie — and  most — hie — of — their  hus 
— bands — will  be  at— hie — home  wash — ing  dishes!" 

The  two  parties  in  the  City  of  Batesville  were  work 
ing  with  all  their  strength  to  carry  the  coming  election; 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  237 

The  Prohibitionists  to  gain  more  power,  so  they  would 
not  only  have  The  Mayor  on  their  side,  but  also  The 
Aldermen  and  Common  Council. 

The  Liquor  Party,  led  by  Colonel  Berry,  felt  as  if 
they  were  fighting  for  their  existence,  for  they  had 
money,  prejudice,  intolerance  and  numbers  against 
them.  As  it  then  stood  Colonel  Berry  and  his  party 
had  a  little  of  the  advantage,  for  they  could,  by  joint 
action  of  Aldermen  and  Council,  controlled  by  Liquor 
men,  pass  an  ordinance  over  The  Mayor's  veto;  but 
this  election  might  change  things  all  around. 

As  far  as  religion  was  concerned,  from  the  recent 
conviction  of  The  Evangelist,  the  ministers  in  The 
County  and  The  Church  Party  suffered  very  severely, 
for  not  only  did  all  the  new  converts  backslide,  but  a 
great  many  of  the  old  church  members  dropped  away 
from  the  cHurches.  Yet,  nevertheless,  there  was  a 
vindictive  feeling  among  those  people,  such  as  is  felt 
by  all  people  who  have  been  duped,  against  somebody 
and,  of  course,  the  somebody  will  always  be  the  inno 
cent  party. 

Lucy  Hurryup  and  all  of  her  followers  of  The  W. 
C.  T.  U.  and  all  the  ministers  laid  their  disgrace  to  the 
machinations  of  "Those  Devils,  the  Berrys,"  -aided  by 
"The  Infamous  Rum  Power,"  but  they  said:  "The  Lord 
will  take  care  of  His  Saints  in  Zion!"  Strange  to  say 
most  of  those  people  who  had  been  duped  by  So-Called 
Religion  were  prepared  again  to  be  duped  by  the  same 
leaders,  only  under  the  guise  of  Temperance.  They 
never  stopped  to  think  that  rabid  people  of  prejudice 
and  intolerance  can  never  be  temperate  in  anything. 

Strange  to  say,  also,  though  Major  Ashcraft  was  so 
prominent  among  The  Prohibitionists  and  had  had  a 
large  element  of  the  labor  men,  who  had  struck,  against 
him,  large  numbers  of  them  went  over  to  The  Prohibi 
tionists,  because  they  hated  The  Berry  Zouaves  and 
their  commanders  so,  for  thrashing  them  so  badly  dur 
ing  the  strike. 


238  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Knowing  what  he  had  to  contend  with,  Colonel 
Berry  sent  out,  before  The  Election,  to  his  saloons  and 
all  coadjutors  the  following  words: 

"This  year  we  will  not  only  have  our  regular  ene 
mies  to  contend  with  in  The  Election,  but  a  large  force 
of  the  men  who  were  in  the  strike  will  be  against  us, 
because  The  Berry  Zouaves  made  them  obey  the  law. 
Every  man  of  our  party  should  do  his  utmost  to  get 
out  every  vote  possible,  to  help  carry  The  Election  I" 
and  being  well  organized  his  coadjutors  worked  hard 
and  very  effectively;  among  them  Snickuls,  who  swung 
many  a  vote.  Tommy,  too,  swung  a  good  many  votes 
in  a  quiet  way,  to  The  Berry  Party,  for  Tommy  was 
very  popular  with  those  who  knew  him,  and  his 
acquaintances  were  legion. 

Major  Ashcraft  was  strong  among  a  certain  class  of 
business  men  and  induced  a  great  many  to  vote  for 
Prohibition;  but  what  made  him  most  powerful  with 
that  party  was  his  contributions  of  money,  which  went 
toward  many  purposes  and  for  which  Lucy  Hurryup 
did  not  give  too  accurate  an  accounting;  but  she  was 
ably  assisted  by  Deacon  Going  and  Rev.  Nostir  and,  of 
course,  every  cent  went  into  legitimate  channels. 

Henrietta  Ashcraft,  in  her  mind  at  least,  took  a  more 
than  usual  interest  in  this  election,  for  had  she  not 
heard  Lucy  Hurryup  say,  a  few  days  before  it  came  off, 
in  her  father's  parlor,  when  visiting  Miss  Askwitch: 

"We  have  got  those  rascals — father  and  son — The 
Berrys,  on  the  run.  We  will  have  the  votes  this  year 
and  will  shut  up  their  business  and  drive  them  out  of 
town,  surely!" 

Henrietta  and  Mrs.  Bowink  were  in  the  hall  and 
heard  this  remark.  The  latter  whispered  to  Henrietta: 

"Do  not  be  too  sure,  Lucy,  for  Colonel  Berry  and 
Captain  Alvin  Berry  are  very  plucky  and  resourceful 
men!" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  239 

Somehow,  though  her  own  father  was  doing  his  best 
for  The  Prohibitionists,  Henrietta  felt  grateful  to  Mrs. 
Bowink  for  that  remark. 

The  ministers  were  doing  their  best  to  bring  out 
votes  for  Prohibition  and  Lucy  Hurryup  and  her  women 
coadjutors  were  visiting  every  house  in  every  block 
in  the  city  in  carriages,  soliciting  votes  and  taking 
people  to  the  poles  who  could  not  walk. 

Well,  the  poles  closed  at  five  o'clock  and  Colonel 
Berry,  Alvin  Berry  and  The  President  of  The  Board  of 
Aldermen  were  on  one  side,  to  count  the  votes,  and 
Mayor  Homer,  Major  Ashcraft  and  Rev.  Nostir  on  the 
other  side.  They  counted  all  night,  contending  over 
every  vote,  for  it  was  very  close,  and  several  times 
Mayor  Homer  and  Alvin  Berry  most  came  to  blows. 

At  last,  near  morning,  they  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  the  two  tickets  were  on  a  tie — unless  three  votes, 
evidently  cast  for  Colonel  Berry's  Party,  on  account 
of  being  written  very  badly,  were  thrown  out;  but,  if 
those  three  ballots  were  accepted  and  counted,  it  would 
give  The  Berry  Party  the  Election  for  Mayor  and  the 
Majority  of  the  whole  ticket. 

Mayor  Homer  said  they  would  not  count  those  three 
votes,  for  they  could  not  be  read  and  were  illegal,  and 
Alvin  Berry  said  they  should  be  counted.  Major  Ash- 
craft  and  Colonel  Berry  said  very  little,  at  first,  but 
listened  to  the  controversy.  At  last,  The  Major  pro 
posed  that  they  all  adjourn,  leave  the  ballots  in  charge 
of  The  Chief  of  Police,  go  home>  get  a  good  rest  and 
come  back  that  evening;  to  which  Colonel  Berry  gave 
his  assent  and  they  all  went  home  and  went  to  bed. 

Both  Parties,  that  evening,  could  not  come  to  any 
agreement;  so  they  all  went  before  Judge  Elmira  Sims, 
at  the  Court  House,  followed  by  a  large  crowd,  who 
were  anxious  to  hear  the  result  of  the  Election. 

The  Judge  listened  to  the  facts  of  the  matter  and 
said  to  Colonel  Berry,  as  the  leader  of  his  party,  and 
Major  Ashcraft,  as  leader  of  the  other: 


240  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Gentlemen,  this  is  only  a  conversation  between  citi 
zens.  Do  you  wish  to  make  a  law  caso  out  of  it?  If 
you  do,  it  will  have  to  be  put  in  legal  shape,  for  I  can 
do  nothing  as  it  is  now." 

Colonel  Berry,  who  had  been  thinking  of  the  matter 
several  hours,  arose  from  his  chair  and  in  a  dignified 
and  pleasant  voice  spoke: 

"Your  Honor  and  Gentlemen:  The  troubles,  from  the 
two  contending  Parties  in  our  City,  have  been  going  on 
for  a  long  time  and  I  would  like  to  see  all  points  of 
contention  settled  amicably. 

"If  we  go  down  to  the  root  of  all  our  troubles  in 
the  elections  and  management  of  our  City  affairs,  it 
will  be  found  that  it  is  simply  a  question  whether  my 
party,  friends,  coadjutors  and  myself  shall  manufacture 
and  sell  Liquor  in  this  community  or  not. 

"We  claim,  as  citizens  of  the  land,  the  right  to  carry 
on  our  business,  so  long  as  we  obey  the  laws,  which  we 
have  done  to  the  best  of  our  ability,  and,  so  far  as  we 
know,  in  every  particular. 

"As  the  Party  opposed  to  us,  known  as  The  Pro 
hibition  Party,  starts  out  in  a  declaration  that  they 
intend  to  destroy  our  business  and  run  all  of  us  out  of 
the  community,  when  we  are  breaking  no  law,  then 
we  must  fight,  and  fight  hard,  for  our  existence! 

"The  immediate  cause  of  our  visit  to  you,  Your 
Honor,  is  that  we  find  that  there  is  a  tie  vote  cast  in 
this  Election,  unless  my  party  surrenders  its  claims 
to  three  votes  partially  illegible. 

"Now,  Your  Honor  and  gentlemen,  if  we  surrender 
our  claim  to  those  three  partially  illegible  votes,  it  will 
still  make  a  tie  and  the  matter  will  be  still  far  from  a 
settlement. 

"Without  surrendering  any  of  our  rights,  I  have  a 
proposition  or  Challenge  to  make  to  The  Prohibition 
Party  that  will  settle  this  Liquor  Question  in  this  City 
for  all  time.  To  Major  Ashcraft,  Mayor  Homer  and 
Rev.  Peter  Nostir,  as  representatives  of  The  Prohibition 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  241 

Party,  I,  as  representative  of  The  Liquor  Party,  will 
make  this  proposition  and  say:  That  we  will  give  you 
the  full  control  of  The  City  of  Batesville,  as  far  as  The 
Liquor  Traffic  is  concerned,  and  will  close  up  all  of 
our  saloons  in  the  City  for  one  month;  and,  then  you 
will  allow  me,  the  next  month,  to  run  a  continuous 
stream  of  Liquor  from  my  Distillery,  at  the  head  of 
Main  Street,  in  a  large  trough,  through  the  town,  with 
receptacles  for  drinking,  dippers  and  glasses  on  every 
block  attached. 

"The  object  of  this  is  to  prove  to  you  all,  gentlemen, 
though  it  will  be  a  great  expense  to  me,  that  you  will 
have  more  drinking  and  drunkenness  under  your  sys 
tem  of  Prohibition,  than  if  Liquor  were  absolutely  free 
and  without  restriction  of  any  kind. 

"I  make  you  this  Challenge,  gentlemen,  and  there 
will  be  no  expense  to  you  to  demonstrate  the  point, 
for  the  expense  will  all  come  out  of  me,  and  if,  at  the 
end  of  a  month's  trial  of  your  system,  you  do  not  have 
as  much  drinking  and  as  many  drunks  as  we  do,  during 
the  month  that  I  run  a  stream  of  Liquor  through  the 
town,  absolutely  free  to  all  citizens,  then  we  will  turn 
The  City  Government  entirely  over  to  your  Party  or 
ticket.  But  if,  at  the  end  of  one  month's  trial  of  run 
ning  a  continuous  stream  of  Liquor  through  the  town, 
we  have  less  drinking  and  drunkenness  than  you  did, 
under  absolute  Prohibition,  then  we  are  to  have  The 
City  Government  complete. 

"I  make  you  this  Challenge!  Will  you  accept  it, 
gentlemen?" 

"Why,  certainly!"  exclaimed  Rev.  Peter  Nostir,  look 
ing  at  his  coadjutors  and  laughing  and  laughing  heartily. 

"Certainly!"  joined  in  Mayor  Homer,  and  then  Major 
Ashcraft  said,  more  deliberately: 

"Certainly!"  and  he  laughed,  too. 

The  Prohibitionists  in  the  Court  Room,  and  there 
were  many,  laughed  heartily  and  those  of  the  other 
party  had  to  smile  at  the  strangeness  of  the  proposal. 


242  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Judge  Elmira  Sims  gazed  at  Colonel  Berry  with  wide 
open  eyes  and  then  said: 

"Please  state  your  proposition  again,  Colonel,  so  that 
we  can  all  understand  it  perfectly.  I  will  have  The 
Court  Stenographer  take  it  down,  write  it  off  and,  if 
accepted,  both  parties  can  sign  it." 

The  Court  Stenographer  took  his  pencil  and  book 
and  sat  at  the  table  below  The  Judge's  bench,  and 
Colonel  Berry  arose  to  speak  again,  saying: 

"As  representative  of  The  Liquor  Party,  I  propose 
to  turn  The  City  of  Batesville  over  to.  The  Prohibition 
Party  to  run  The  City,  as  far  as  The  Liquor  Business  is 
concerned,  for  one  month,  beginning  this  September 
first — three  days  hence — in  whatever  manner  they  see 
fit,  and  we  will  close  up  all  of  our  saloons. 

"Then  The  Prohibition  Party,  beginning  October 
first,  is  to  turn  The  City  over  to  The  Liquor  Party  to 
run,  so  far  as  The  Liquor  Business  is  concerned,  for 
one  month,  in  whatever  manner  they  see  fit.  If,  after 
comparing  the  consumption  of  Liquor  and  drunkenness 
of  the  two  months,  there  is  less  during  The  Prohibition 
month,  then  we  will  surrender  this  Election  to  The 
Prohibitionists. 

"But  if,  after  comparing  the  consumption  of  Liquor 
and  drunkenness  of  the  two  months,  there  is  less  during 
the  Free  Liquor  month,  then  The  Prohibitionists  are 
to  surrender  the  Election  to  us. 

"During  the  month  that  The  Liquor  Men  have  con 
trol,  I  will  run  a  stream  of  Whisky  continually,  in  a 
clean  iron  trough,  through  Main  Street,  accessible  to 
any  citizen  to  drink,  free  of  cost,  and  I,  Henry  Berry, 
representative  of  The  Liquor  Party,  challenge  The  Pro 
hibition  Party  to  this  honorable  combat!" 

"Good!  Good!"  exclaimed  everybody  in  the  room, 
particularly  The  Prohibitionists;  but  Deacon  Going 
thought,  for  the  moment,  that  he  was  in  church,  and 
his  "A — a — men!"  was  the  loudest  of  them  all. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  243 

In  a  few  moments  The  Stenographer  handed  The 
Judge,  nicely  copied,  what  Colonel  Berry  had  proposed, 
and  Judge  Elmira  Sims  exclaimed: 

"I  hold  in  my  hand 

COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE. 

"If  The  Prohibitionists  accept  it,  let  their  repre 
sentatives  step  forward  and  sign  it  with  The  Colonel 
and  his  coadjutors  I" 

The  paper  was  placed  on  the  table  below  The  Judge 
and  Colonel  Berry,  Alvin  Berry  and  The  President  of 
the  Board  of  Aldermen  signed  it.  Then  Major  Ashcraft, 
Mayor  Homer  and  Rev.  Peter  Nostir  affixed  their  sig 
natures  to  the  document. 

The  Judge  declared  the  meeting  adjourned  and  the 
people  flocked  out  of  the  Court  Room,  The  Prohibition 
ists  jubilant. 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Snickuls  was  lying  down  on  the  couch  in  The  Snick- 
uls  and  Tommy  Club,  when  Tommy  came  running  in, 
exclaiming: 

"Snickuls!  Snickuls!  Get  up;  I  want  to  tell  you 
something  funny!" 

Then  Tommy  commenced  to  laugh  so  heartily  that 
he  bent  over,  which  was  unusual  for  Tommy,  to  be  so 
demonstrative. 

"What  is  it,  Tommy?"  said  Snickuls,  getting  up  and 
laughing,  too,  out  of  sympathy. 

"Mr.  Hinsdale,"  answered  Tommy,  "has  just  had 
three  great  wagon  loads  of  jugs  unloaded  and  put  down 
in  the  second  story  cellar,  and  guess  how  they  are 
labeled?" 

Here  Tommy  commenced  to  laugh  again. 

"How  can  I  tell,  Tommy?"  said  Snickuls.  Tommy 
continued: 

"Why,  it  is  all  marked 

Chinese  Molasses, 
and  it  is  nothing  but— Whisky!" 

Here  Snickuls  laughed  and  Tommy  laughed. 


244  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Ho!  Ho!  Ho!"  exclaimed  the  former,  "that  is  a 
good  joke!  But  how  do  you  know  it  is  whisky, 
Tommy?" 

"Because  I  opened  a  jug  and  smelt  it,"  said  Tommy, 
and  he  continued: 

"And  he  had  a  whole  wagon  load  of  quart  bottles, 
too,  labeled — Chinese  Molasses." 
********* 

Snickuls  was  about  the  City  a  good  deal  the  next 
day  and  passed  several  grocery  stores.  As  he  had  no 
particular  business,  Snickuls  was  a  close  observer  of 
things  and  noticed  that  there  were  several  barrels  being 
unloaded  at  different  grocery  stores,  on  the  end  and 
on  the  sides  of  which  he  saw  a  large  yellow  label, 
which  read: 

Chinese  Molasses. 

Standing  close  to  the  door  of  another  grocery,  he 
saw  the  proprietor  come  out  with  a  man  who  had  a 
satchel  and  whom  Snickuls  took  for  a  drummer. 

"All  right!"  exclaimed  the  groceryman,  winking  at 
the  drummer,  "send  me  a  barrel  of  Chinese  Molasses, 
tomorrow  or  next  day,  sure!" 

It  was  the  29th  day  of  August  and  The  Prohibition 
ists  were,  according  to  agreement  with  The  Liquor 
Party,  to  run  the  City  of  Batesville  for  the  month  of 
September.  Everything  was  to  be  completely  "dry" 
and  there  was  to  be  no  Liquor  sold  nor  drunk  in  the 
City.  Colonel  Berry,  head  of  the  great  Distillery  firm 
of  Berry  &  Son,  in  accordance  with  his  agreement  made 
with  The  Prohibitionists,  issued  a  circular  to  his  thirty 
saloons,  reading  as  follows: 

OFFICE  OF  BERRY  &  SON. 

Distillers. 

"According  to  an  agreement  made  with  The  Prohi 
bition  Party,  we  will  close  all  of  our  saloons  in  the 
City  of  Batesville  for  one  month,  from  September  1st; 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  245 

but  the  bartenders  and  employees  will  get  their  wages 
just  the  same. 

"We  insist  that  no  Liquor  shall  be  sold  in  any  way, 
shape  or  form  from  our  places,  during  the  month  of 
September,  and  that  the  bartenders  lock  up  the  saloons 
and  bring  us  the  keys  on  the  afternoon  of  August  31st, 
at  five  o'clock. 

"BERRY  &  SON." 

On  the  above  date  the  notice  was  sent  through  the 
mail  to  each  bartender  of  Berry  &  Son's  thirty  saloons 
and,  when  the  young  man  who  mailed  them,  dropped 
them  into  the  main  Post  Office  that  afternoon,  he  went 
across  the  street  to  the  finest  drug  store  in  the  city — 
Epply  &  Go. — where  a  young  fellow  friend  was 
employed,  to  get  a  glass  of  soda  and  cream,  for  it  was 
warm.  His  friend  was  changing  the  Soda  Fountain 
somewhat. 

"What  you  doing?"  asked  the  first  mentioned  young 
man. 

"Oh,  just  fixing  up  for  a  new  drink,  that's  just  come 
out.  It's  called  Chinese  Molasses.  Not  quite  ready  with 
the  blamed  fountain,  yet!  Gome  in  in  a  couple  of  days 
and  you  can  get  some;  it's  good!" 

Tommy  was  passing  along  the  hall  of  the  second 
story  of  The  Hinsdale  Hotel,  when  a  young  la  ly  called 
him  to  the  door  of  one  of  the  rooms  and  said: 

"Tommy,  please  go  to  the  drug  store  across  the 
street  and  get  me  some  of  that  perfumed  soap!" 

She  put  a  quarter  into  Tommy's  hand  and  he  went. 
He  stood  in  the  drug  store  and  waited  for  the  clerk  to 
come  from  the  Prescription  Counter  and,  while  doing 
so,  a  red  sign  with  white  letters  was  prominently  dis 
played  in  the  store,  which  read: 

"Try  Chinese  Molasses. 
The  New  Drink. 
It  is  Delicious!" 


246  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Tommy  looked  thoughtful,  got  his  soap  and  went 
out. 

Mrs.  Jane  Bowink,  the  wealthiest  woman  in  Bates- 
ville,  drove  up  to  the  elegant  confectionery  and  bakery 
of  Pannier  &  Co.  with  her  beautiful  span  of  horses  and 
carriage.  The  footman  helped  her  to  alight  and,  hold 
ing  her  head  high,  she  went  into  the  Bakery  Depart 
ment  to  look  at  some  cakes.  When  she  had  bought 
some  choice  kinds  she  saw,  on  a  large  counter,  a  cir 
cular,  or  handbill,  that  read: 

Chinese  Molasses  Bread 

Is  Delicious! 

Try  It! 

Mrs.  Bowink  asked  of  the  young  man  clerk: 
"Let  me  see  a  loaf  of  that  Chinese  Molasses  Bread. 
How  much  do  they  cost?" 

The  clerk  looked  at  her  rather  strangely  and  said: 
"They  are  very  high,  Madam,  and  cost  thirty  cents 
a  loaf;  but  they  are  very  delicious!  We  have  to  import 
them  and  are  all  out  at  present;  but  will  have  a  large 
lot  in  by  the  first  of  September.  Can  we  send  out  to 
your  home,  then,  one-half  dozen  loaves?" 

Now  Mrs.  Bowink  was  very  fond  of  having  nice 
things  and,  as  she  was  able  to  pay  for  most  anything 
she  wanted,  she  replied  quickly: 

"Yes,  send  me  one-half  dozen  loaves!"  and  went  out. 

********* 

Ned  Pierce  was  a  Detective,  generally  employed  by 
The  Liquor  Interests  for  many  purposes;  to  find  out 
what  the  plans  and  proceedings  of  The  Prohibitionists 
were  and  to  make  himself  generally  useful  in  that  line. 

He  was  not  doing  anything  on  the  first  of  September 
and  his  wife  sent  him  to  the  butcher  shop  to  get  her 
a  Bologna  Sausage,  of  which  she  was  very  fond.  The 
butcher  got  Ned  the  sausage  and,  being  an  old  friend 
and  knowing  he  was  allied  with  the  Liquor  men,  asked 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  247 

with  a  humorous  look:  "And  did  you  ever  eat  any 
Chinese  Molasses  Sausage?" 

"No,"  answered  Ned,  "is  it  good?  What  does  it 
look  like?" 

The  butcher  said: 

"I'll  show  you,  Ned,  if  you'll  swear  you  will  not 
get  me  into  trouble.  Come  back  into  the  other  room!" 

"All  right,  I'll  promise,"  said  Ned,  and  he  went  with 
the  butcher,  who  took  down  a  huge  sausage  from  a 
hook  and  cut  the  end  off. 

He  then  pulled  from  the  middle  of  the  sausage  a 
long,  narrow  bottle,  wiped  it  off  with  a  cloth,  winked 
at  Ned  and  handed  it  to  him. 

Ned's  eyes  brightened  and  glistened,  as  he  held  it 
up  to  the  light,  took  the  cork  out,  smelled  it  and  then 
took  a  good  drink  from  the  bottle. 

"My!  That's  fine!  That's  a  good  one!  Who  got 
that  up?"  asked  Ned. 

The  butcher  answered,  laughing: 

"Oh,  a  drummer  delivers  them  to  us!" 

"Well,"  said  Ned,  "I  know  Colonel  Berry  would  not 
sanction  this;  but  he  has  nothing  to  do  with  it.  These 
sausages  will  come  in  fine  this  Prohibition  month  and 
I  will  put  the  boys  in  town  on  to  it,  and  you  will  get 
a  big  trade.  Let  me  have  one  of  those  Chinese  Molasses 
Sausages!"  and  Ned,  paying  him  for  it,  went  out 
laughing. 

Miss  Askwitch  met  Mrs.  Bowink  in  the  large  Depart 
ment  Store  of  Neurich  &  Co.  "Though  the  two  women 
had  not  thought  much  of  each  other,  recently,  they  had 
to  be  thrown  together  a  good  deal  and  thought  it  was 
best  to  swallow  their  dislikes,  apparently,  anyhow.  So 
they  went  around  the  store  together,  looking  at  the 
many  articles  to  be  seen,  that  interest  women,  and 
commenting  upon  them. 

"Why,  it  is  lunch  time!  Let  us  go  into  The  Res 
taurant  and  get  some  lunch,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Bowink, 
looking  at  her  watch. 


248  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

There  was  a  very  nice  restaurant  in  the  store  and 
Miss  Askwitch  followed  Mrs.  Bowink  to  a  table.  The 
room  was  filled  with  mostly  ladies;  but  there  were 
some  gentlemen. 

Mrs.  Bowink  ordered  an  elaborate  lunch  and,  in 
looking  over  the  Bill  of  Fare,  she  noticed  printed  in 
large  type  near  the  bottom: 

Try  Chinese  Molasses. 
It  is  a  Fine  Drink! 

The  widow's  eyes  twinkled,  for  she  recollected  what 
happened  at  her  home  the  afternoon  before. 

In  her  bedroom,  reading,  she  was  interrupted  by 
her  housekeeper,  Jennie,  who  said: 

"Mrs.  Bowink,  there  is  a  boy  downstairs  with  six 
loaves  of  bread,  marked — Chinese  Molasses  Bread.  Is 
it  all  right?" 

"Yes,  Jennie,  receive  it  and  tell  him  I  will  send  a 
check,"  answered  the  widow,  "and,  Jennie,  bring  that 
bread  to  me!" 

When  Jennie  brought  the  bundle,  Mrs.  Bowink  went 
with  her  to  the  kitchen  and  called  for  a  knife,  which 
Jennie  procured,  as  the  cook  was  out. 

"That  cuts  and  looks  just  like  any  other  bread — 
but  what  is  that?"  exclaimed  the  widow,  as  the  knife 
struck  on  something  hard  and  revealed  the  neck  of  a 
bottle.  She  pulled  a  pint  bottle  out  of  the  loaf  and  she 
and  Jennie  looked  at  each  other.  Then  they  began  to 
laugh  and  laugh  and  laugh. 

"Get  a  glass,  Jennie,  and  let  us  see  what  it  is!" 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Bowink,  and  she  poured  some  of  the 
liquid  from  the  bottle,  put  a  little  water  with  it  and 
tasted  it. 

"That  is  good  Whisky,  Jennie!  I  was  wondering 
where  I  was  going  to  get  my  toddy,  during  this  Pro 
hibition  month;  but  now  I  know.  Do  not  tell  anybody, 
Jennie!"  Jennie  poured  some  out  into  a  glass  and  drank 
some,  also. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  249 

This  is  what  Mrs.  Bowink  saw  in  her  mind's  eye,  as 
she  noticed  the  large  print  at  bottom  of  Bill  of  Fare, 
reading: 

Try  Chinese  Molasses. 

They  had  about  finished  their  lunch  when  the  widow 
thought  she  would  play  a  little  joke  with  Miss  Ask- 
witch;  and  why  should  she  not?  Did  she  not  recollect 
with  what  relish  Miss  Askwitch  took  the  Champagne 
and  other  liquor  at  the  Sunday  School  Picnic,  where 
they  entertained  so  many  ministers?  So  she  slyly 
observed: 

"Let  us  try  some  of  that  Chinese  Molasses." 

The  waitress  came  and  Mrs.  Bowink  asked: 

"What  is  that  Chinese  Molasses  like?  We  would 
like  to  try  some  of  it." 

The  waitress  answered:  "It  looks  like  tea  and  is 
hot  and  sweet.  Very  nice,  indeed!  Shall  I  bring  you 
two  cups?" 

"Yes,  we  will  try  it,"  said  the  widow,  and  the  girl 
brought  two  cups  and  sat  them  down  before  the  ladies. 

Mrs.  Bowink  pretended  that  she  had  a  little  coughing 
spell  and  pulled  out  her  handkerchief  to  wipe  her 
mouth,  which  she  did  very  deliberately;  but  she 
watched  Miss  Askwitch  closely,  as  she  took  her  spoon 
and  tasted  the  warm  Chinese  Molasses  in  the  teacup. 
When  she  had  sipped  one  teaspoonful  she  hesitated; 
then  took  another  and  another;  then  she  lifted  her  cup 
and  drank  half  of  it,  saying: 

"That  is  very  nice;  what  does  it  taste  like?"  and 
she  drank  the  balance  of  the  cup. 

Mrs.   Bowink,   coughing   again,   answered: 

"I  will — try  it,  as — soon  as  I  get — over  this  coughing 
spell;  but,  if  you — like  it,  bet — ter  keep — me  company 
and  have — another  cup." 

She  motioned  to  the  waitress,  who  brought  Miss 
Askwitch  another  cup.  The  widow  sipped  hers,  but 
Miss  Askwitch  drank  her  second  cup  right  down,  in 
two  efforts. 


250  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"I  do  not  know  what  it  tastes  like,  but  it  is  good," 
said  Mrs.  Bowink,  innocently. 

"Yes,  very  good!"  replied  Miss  Askwitch. 

The  room  was  warm  and,  as  the  widow  sipped  from 
her  cup,  she  watched  her  companion  closely  and 
laughed  inwardly,  for  her  eyes  grew  large  and  looked 
kind  of  vacant. 

Mrs.  Bowink  called  the  waitress,  paid  her  and  hur 
ried  Miss  Askwitch  out  to  the  sidewalk  and  fresh  air, 
and  she  had  to  take  hold  of  her  arm  to  steady  her,  as 
the  widow  led  her  to  her  carriage  and  helped  her  in. 
Mrs.  Bowink  whispered  to  her  coachman: 

"Drive  quickly  to  Major  Ashcraft's  home!"  On  the 
way  Miss  Askwitch  went  to  sleep  in  the  carriage  and, 
when  they  arrived  at  The  Major's  home,  the  servants 
took  her  out  of  the  carriage  and  put  her  to  bed. 

Mrs.  Bowink  said  she  met  her  in  the  Department 
Store  and  she  looked  sick;  so  she  brought  her  home; 
but  the  servants,  who  carried  her  upstairs  and  smelt 

something,  whispered  to  each  other:    "Whisky!" 

********* 

Policeman  Ruttles  was  walking  along  the  street, 
slowly,  when  he  saw  ahead  of  him  two  well-dressed 
men,  one  about  thirty  and  the  other  fifty,  stop  on  the 
corner  in  front  of  Berry  Saloon  No.  5  and  look  up  and 
down.  They  went  to  the  door  and  tried  to  get  in;  but 
they  failed,  and  stood  there,  until  the  officer  came  up. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  the  saloons?"  asked  the 
young  man  of  Ruttles. 

"All  closed  up!  Everything  'dry'  in  this  town,  now! 
Orders  from  The  Mayor  to  arrest  anyone  selling  whisky, 
beer  or  any  kind  of  Liquor!"  exclaimed  the  policeman, 
stopping,  twirling  his  club  and  assuming  a  severe  air. 

"Well,  I'll  be  damned!"  exclaimed  the  young  man, 
looking  at  the  other  in  disgust,  who  turned  away  and 
walked  to  the  corner  where  the  officer  stood.  "Of 
course  you  have  to  enforce  the  law,  officer,"  said  the 
elder  man,  "but  we  have  traveled  all  over  the  country 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  251 

in  the  last  year  and  we  have  never  seen  a  'dry'  town 
that's  worth  a  damn  for  business!" 

Ruttles  shrugged  his  shoulders,  twirled  his  club  and 
went  on,  to  finish  his  beat,  but  he  saw  a  man  standing 
on  the  diagonal  corner,  whom  he  eyed  suspiciously, 
as  he  walked  away.  Half  way  down  the  block  the 
policeman  looked  serious,  shook  his  head  and  muttered 
to  himself: 

"The  man  is  right  and  this  town  will  not  be  worth 
a  damn,  before  long!" 

As  the  two  strangers,  who  could  not  get  a  drink, 
stood  there,  they  saw  two  women,  walking  separately, 
with  tin  pails  coming  from  one  direction  and  a  little 
girl  from  the  other.  They  all  went  to  the  side  entrance 
of  the  saloon  and  tried  to  get  in,  but  could  not. 

"What's  matter  with  saloon?"  asked  a  little  fat 
woman,  coming  up  to  the  men  on  the  corner;  while 
the  thin  woman  and  girl  followed  with  inquiring  looks. 
The  young  man,  lighting  a  cigar,  jerked  his  thumb 
toward  Ruttles  in  the  distance  and  said: 

"Policeman  says  all  saloons  are  closed  and  town  is 
'dry.' "  The  fat  woman  assumed  a  belligerent  attitude 
and  exclaimed: 

"What?  We  can't  have  no  more  beer?  Do  they 
think  we  can  drink  dirty  water!" 

"Nein!  Nein!"  said  the  other  woman — who  was 
German — very  excitedly,  "Ich  bin  so  sorry!  M  in  man 
he  vill  schwear  hart;  he  must  haf  plenty  beer!" 

The  little  girl  commenced  to  cry  and  sobbed  out: 

"Mama  says — we  have  got — very — little  bread  to  eat 
— today — and  must — make  up — on  beer — and  now — we 
won't  get  no — beer!" 

"Poor  little  thing!"  said  the  elder  man,  going  to  the 
girl  and  putting  his  hand  encouragingly  on  her  head. 
He  put  his  other  hand  into  his  vest  pocket,  took  out 
a  quarter  and  slipped  it  into  her  hand,  saying: 

"There!  There!  Go  home  now  and  get  you  all  some 
bread!" 


252        .     COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

The  little  girl  opened  her  hand  and  saw  the  quarter, 
looked  up  at  the  stranger  and  smiled  and  went  off  down 
the  street,  while  the  two  women  stood  there  talking 
vociferously. 

Just  then  the  man  who  had  stood  on  the  diagonal 
corner  came  across  the  street  to  where  the  little  group 
was  standing,  and  stood  listening.  The  two  strangers 
caught  his  eye  and  he  gave  a  slight  motion  of  his  hand 
to  them,  as  if  to  follow  him,  and  then  he  walked  very 
slowly  away. 

The  two  men  had  not  been  through  the  world  for 
nothing  and  they,  deliberately,  followed  him  in  an 
unconcerned  manner.  After  walking  several  blocks  the 
man  stopped  and  waited  for  them  to  come  up,  and  he 
then  said  to  them: 

"Gome  with  me  and  you  can  get  whatever  you  want!" 

The  three  walked  together,  in  another  direction,  for 
three  blocks  and  he  entered  the  gate  of  a  nice  premises 
with  a  pretty  frame  house,  nice  lawn,  flowers,  trees 
and  swings.  It  looked  very  home-like. 

They  were  conducted  around  to  the  side  entrance 
to  the  house,  where  they  went  up  some  steps,  and 
entered  a  parlor  and  became  seated.  The  parlor  con 
tained  a  piano,  couple  of  easy  chairs,  sofa  and  fireplace. 
Opposite  them  was  a  papered  wall,  with  two  nice  look 
ing  pictures  on  it. 

Immediately,  after  they  were  seated,  another  man 
put  his  head  into  the  door  and  said,  in  a  low  voice: 

"Go  ahead;  coast  is  all  clear!" 

Hearing  this,  the  man  who  had  conducted  them  there 
brought  a  small  ornamented  table  from  another  room, 
with  different  kinds  of  glasses  on  it,  and  sat  it  in  the 
middle  of  the  room.  He  then  reached  up,  took  the 
two  pictures  from  the  wall  and  put  them  on  the  piano. 

Taking  a  thin  key  from  his  pocket,  he  went  to  the 
right  hand  extreme  end  of  the  wall,  inserted  the  key  into 
a  small  crack  and  it  looked  like  the  whole  wall  slid 
back  to  the  left,  revealing  long  shelves,  extending  across 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  253 

the  room  and  way  up  to  the  ceiling,  filled  with  bottles 
of  all  kinds  of  liquor.  When  this  was  done,  the  man, 
smiling  and  making  a  low  bow,  said, 

"Gentlemen,  what  will  you  have?" 

The  two  men  staid  there  for  an  hour,  drinking,  and 
carried  away  with  them  a  bottle  of  whisky,  each,  in 
his  pocket.  As  they  paid  their  bill  and  started  to  go, 
the  entertainer  slid  back  the  sliding  door,  put  back  the 
pictures  and  took  out  the  table  and  glasses,  and  the 
room  looked  again  just  like  a  private  parlor. 

The  two  men  could  control  themselves,  but  they 
reached  the  street  in  a  stupid  condition.  After  they 
were  well  under  way,  the  elder  exclaimed: 

"Ralph,  I — have  drunk  more — today — hie — than  in 
six  months — before.  If  that  sa — hie — loon  had — been 
open  —  we  —  would  not  have  —  hie  —  taken  —  but  one 
drink!" 

The  two  women  with  empty  tin  pails,  who  stood 
at  Berry  Saloon  No.  5,  after  calling  Mayor  Homer  and 
The  City  Government  all  the  hard  names  they  could 
think  of,  for  cutting  off  the  Beer  Supply,  walked  away 
together  toward  their  homes. 

In  a  few  moments  they  saw  a  milk  wagon  coming. 
The  driver  stopped  at  different  doors  and  delivered 
milk.  As  he  came  out  of  a  basement,  he  met  the  two 
women,  scolding,  and  said: 

"What's  ther  matter?" 

The  fat  woman  replied:  "Aw,  we  can't  get  no  more 
beer!  That's  the  Devil  of  a  Mayor!" 

"Yaw!  Yaw!  he  iss  nicht  gude!"  said  the  German 
woman. 

The  milkman  reached  over,  took  their  pails  and 
exclaimed:  "Sh-h-h!"  motioning  his  head  in  the  direc 
tion  of  milk  wagon.  The  women  followed  with  wide 
open  eyes. 

At  the  wagon  he  placed  the  two  pails  under  the 
faucet  of  one  of  his  large  cans,  turned  the  handle  and 
they  were  soon  full.  When  he  took  them  out  and 


254  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

handed  them  to  the  women  they  were  full  of  foaming 
beer. 

"Gude!  Gude!"  said  the  German  woman,  handing 
him  a  nickel,  and  the  other  woman,  doing  the  same, 
exclaimed,  laughing: 

"Well,  I  declare!" 

The  milkman  got  into  his  wagon  and  said:  "Keep 
yer  mouths  shut,  or  ther  cops  will  get  us  all  I  You 
know  where  to  get  it,  now." 

"Yaw!  Yaw!"  said  the  German  woman,  laughing, 
and  he  drove  on. 

The  milkman  had  only  driven  a  short  ways  when 
he  saw  his  old  schoolmate  and  classmate,  Policeman 
Ruttles,  approaching  on  the  sidewalk  and  he  stopped 
and  called  out: 

"Hello,  Rut!    How  yer  feelin'?" 

The  policeman  left  the  sidewalk,  went  over  to  the 
wagon,  shook  hands  and  said: 

"Say,  Jerry,  can  you  give  me  some  of  that  you  gave 
me  the  other  day?  I'm  dreadful  dry." 

"Sure,  all  yer  want!"  exclaimed  Jerry,  and  he  drew 
a  glass  from  under  the  seat,  turned  the  faucet  and 
handed  a  glass  of  beer  to  the  policeman.  Before  the 
milkman  drove  away  Ruttles  drank  three  glasses  and, 
when  he  resumed  his  beat,  he  exclaimed: 

"My,  that  was  good!  If  this  keeps  up,  I  don't  know 
what  this  damn  town's  coming  to!" 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Lucy  Hurryup  and  Rev.  Peter  Nostir  had  determined 
to  call  a  meeting  of  the  particularly  faithful  members 
of  The  W.  C.  T.  U.,  and  it  was  to  be  held  in  the  small 
Lecture  Room  of  Rev.  Nostir's  Church,  which  could  be 
made  secluded  and  secret.  Lucy,  herself,  was  to  stand 
at  the  door,  and  no  one  was  to  be  admitted  to  the  meet 
ing  the  faithfulness  of  whom  she  doubted  in  the  least. 

Before  going  to  the  meeting  at  the  church  she 
thought  she  would  drop  in  at  The  Ashcrafts  and  stir 
The  Major,  Miss  Askwitch  and  Miss  Henrietta  up  to  a 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  255 

little  more  enthusiasm.  Somehow  or  other,  though  The 
Major  had  done  no  particular  thing  to  make  her  think 
so,  he  did  not  seem  to  have  the  enthusiasm  that  he  did 
for  The  Prohibition  Cause.  What  influence  it  was  that 
caused  this  she  did  not  know. 

Miss  Askwitch,  also,  who  had  been  a  very  aggressive 
and  zealous  Prohibitionist,  was  not  at  their  last  meet 
ing.  So  she  thought  she  would  go  to  The  Ashcrafts 
and  stir  them  up. 

When  she  got  there,  which  was  just  before  dinner — 
a  very  convenient  time  to  come — there  sat  Dr.  Nostir, 
with  Miss  Askwitch  and  Henrietta,  in  the  sitting  room. 

"I  thought  I  would  come  in  and  get  you  all  to  come 
to  our  Ratification  Meeting  this  afternoon;  but  I  see 
that  Dr.  Nostir  is  here  and  he  no  doubt  has  told  you 
about  it!"  said  Lucy,  as  Miss  Askwitch  placed  a  chair 
for  her.  Just  then  the  doorbell  rang  and  Mrs.  Bowink's 
pleasant  voice  was  heard. 

Miss  Askwitch  leaned  over  to  Lucy  and  said  in  a 
low  voice: 

"I  wish  "hat  woman  would  stay  away  from  here! 
She  is  a  perfect  nuisance  and  I  just  hate  her!" 

Henrietta  arose,  excused  herself,  went  out  into  the 
hall  and  greeted  and  kissed  Mrs.  Bowink,  whom  she 
brought  into  the  sitting  room.  The  widow  bowed  to 
the  three  Prohibitionists  and  took  a  seat  near  Henrietta. 
Major  Ashcraft  came  in  just  then  and  the  butler 
announced  dinner. 

During  the  meal  it  seemed  as  if  The  Major  could 
not  be  too  attentive  to  the  widow,  who  looked  very 
pretty  that  day,  much  to  the  disgust  of  Miss  Askwitch, 
who  could  not  look  Mrs.  Bowink  in  the  eye;  but,  when 
the  latter's  head  was  turned  the  other  way,  she  looked 
daggers  at  her. 

Major  Ashcraft  loved  Mrs.  Bowink,  but,  as  he  looked 
at  his  daughter  that  day,  he  was  truly  proud  of  her 
and  said  to  himself  that,  though  he  had  traveled  a  great 
deal  in  his  life,  he  had  never  seen  such  a  classically 


256  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

beautiful  woman  as  Henrietta,  who  sat  next  to  the 
widow  at  the  table.  The  more  Henrietta  bloomed  into 
womanhood,  the  more  her  features  and  form  seemed 
to  be  perfect. 

At  the  end  of  the  dinner  and,  as  the  coffee  was  being 
served,  Rev.  Nostir  stood  and  said: 

"My  host,  and  good  friends,  we  Prohibitionists  never 
drink,  and  cannot  drink  to  the  success  of  anything  in 
strong  drink;  but  we  can  use  that  God-given  beverage — 
coffee— for  the  same  purpose.  I  have  not  the  slightest 
doubt  of  our  success  in  our  contest  with  The  Liquor 
forces  this  month;  but  I  will  ask  you  all  to  drink— in 

coffee — with  me  to  the  success  of  our  cause,  which  is 

Universal  Prohibition!" 

"Good!"  cried  Lucy  and  some  of  the  others.  She 
touched  her  cup  to  The  Major's;  Miss  Askwitch  to  Rev. 
Nostir's  and  Henrietta  and  Mrs.  Bowink  reluctantly 
went  through  with  the  motions,  the  widow  saying  in 
her  mind: 

"You  old  hypocrite!  How  much  of  my  Champagne 
did  you  drink  at  The  Sunday  School  Picnic?" 

Major  Ashcraft  retired  to  the  sitting  room  with  Rev. 
Nostir,  Lucy  Hurryup  and  Miss  Askwitch;  but  Mrs. 
Bowink  lingered  in  the  dining  room,  looking  at  some 
imported  China  that  The  Major  had  just  bought,  and 
which  Henrietta  was  showing  her. 

The  dining  room  was  just  opposite  the  sitting  room 
and  one  could  see  from  one  to  the  other,  across  the 
hall,  and  hear  what  was  said.  Major  Ashcnift  got  up 
to  go  down  to  his  business  and  Rev.  Nostir  said  he 
would  go  down-town,  also. 

The  minister,  addressing  the  others,  standing,  said: 

"We  want  a  good  attendance  at  our  Ratification  this 
afternoon  and,  Miss  Askwitch,  we  expect  all  the  shining 
lights  of  Prohibition,  like  yourself,  to  be  there!" 

Mrs.  Bowink,  who  heard  the  last  remark,  suddenly 
ducked  her  head  and  laughed  and  laughed  in  her  hand 
kerchief.  Henrietta  said: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  257 

"Please  tell  me  what  it  is,  dear!    Please!" 
Mrs.  Bowink  composed  herself  and  replied: 
"Pardon    me,    Henrietta,    I   just    could    not    control 
myself,  dear.     I  cannot  tell  you  what  it  is,  now,  but 
I  will  some  day!" 

She  was  just  thinking  how  fond  of  Chinese  Molasses 
Miss  Askwitch  was  and,  at  the  same  time,  was  a  "shining 
light  of  Prohibition."  Henrietta  and  she  then  went  into 
the  sitting  room  where  the  other  women  were,  the  men 
having  gone. 

Very  soon  Miss  Askwitch  and  Lucy  got  up  and  said 
they  were  going  to  the  meeting  and  left  the  room;  but 
neither  of  them  asked  Henrietta  or  Mrs.  Bowink  to  go 
with  them. 

At  the  meeting,  where  Lucy  stood  guard,  Rev.  Nostir 
and  Deacon  Going  came  early.  They  passed  the  door, 
went  up  to  the  stand  and  took  their  seats  on  the  plat 
form.  After  some  women,  came  Major  Ashcraft  and 
some  other  gentlemen;  then  the  women  came  in  droves; 
so  much  so  that  Lucy  had  to  hold  them  back,  in  order 
to  identify  them  in  her  mind. 

There  was  a  particularly  large  number  of  them  came 
up  to  the  entering  door,  at  once,  where  Lucy  stood, 
most  of  whom  she  recognized  at  a  glance;  but  there 
was  an  old  woman  in  the  bunch,  the  face  of  whom 
she  could  not  easily  see.  When  stopped,  the  old  lady 
said  in  cracked  voice: 

"I'm  Sister  Jericho,  of  Dr.  Nostir's  Church.  Two 
of  my  sons  died  drunkards  and  Pm  going  to  drive  The 
Devil,  Rum,  out  of  this  town,  praise  The  Lord!" 

"Enter,  Sister!  Enter!"  said  Lucy,  assisting  the  old 
lady  through  the  door.  There  were  about  fifty  women 
and  a  dozen  men  at  the  meeting. 

Lucy  stepped  to  the  stand  on  the  platform  and 
opened  the  meeting  in  the  following  words: 

"Fellow  Prohibitionists,  we  have  great  reason  to 
rejoice  here,  tonight,  that  we  can  Ratify  the  agreement 
that  will  overthrow  the  Rum  forces  of  Hell  in  this  town 


258  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

for  all  time;  but,  before  we  enter  further  into  the 
objects  of  our  meeting,  we  will  ask  Brother  Nostir  to 
lead  us  in  prayer." 

Rev.  Nostir  stepped  to  the  stand,  folded  his  hands, 
closed  his  eyes,  and  said: 

"We  thank  Thee,  O  Lord,  that  we  have  so  many 
pious  hearts  in  this  community,  who  are  saturated  with 
the  grace  of  Thy  love,  sufficient  to  grapple  with  that 
monster,  Rum! 

"Overflowing  with  zeal  in  our  cause  and  being  cer 
tain  of  victory  this  month  over  the  Liquor  forces,  we 
want  to  Ratify  the  agreement  that  Thy  blessed  inter 
ference  has  placed  in  our  hands  to  destroy  Apollyon. 

"We  thank  Thee  for  blinding  the  eyes  of  the  Cap 
tains  of  the  Rum  Trade  and  putting  it  into  their  hearts 
to  rush  to  their  destruction  by.  making  such  an  agree 
ment,  that  will  deliver  this  City  up  to  Thy  children 
to  govern,  under  the  holy  banner  of  Prohibition  and 
Temperance.  We  thank  Thee,  O  Lord,  that  the  time 
is  coming  and  is  now  here,  when  there  will  be  no  more 
Liquor  made,  no  more  Liquor  sold  and  no  more  Liquor 
drunk;  and  we  do  Ratify  and  rejoice  in  Thy  name  that 
Thou  hast  sent  us  such  an  agreement,  that  will  over 
whelm  and  destroy  the  powers  of  Perdition  this  month 
and  drive  them  to  outer  darkness,  where  there  will  be 
wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth!" 

"That's  right!  Give  is  to  'em  Brother!  I  lost  two 
sons  by  Whisky!  Throw  'em  out!"  called  out  the  old 
woman  in  cracked  voice,  and  another  one  shouted: 

"We'll  never  let  up  on  them!"  and  another: 

"So  let  it  be,  Lord!"  and  another: 

"Throw  the  Devils  into  Hell,  Brother!"  but  the  loud 
est  of  them  all  was  Deacon  Going's  "A— a— men!" 

Then  Lucy  called  upon  the  lady  organist  to  play: 

"Hold  the  Fort,  for  I  am  Coming!"  which  they  all 
sang  vehemently  and,  after  several  other  addresses  in 
the  same  tenor,  and  many  jubilations  and  congratula 
tions,  the  meeting  adjourned. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  259 

The  old  lady  who  had  been  welcomed  so  cordially 
and  who  had  been,  at  first,  stopped  by  Lucy  at  the 
door,  went  toddling  down  the  street  for  quite  a  dis 
tance,  turned  into  several  other  streets,  went  up  some 
stone  steps  and  entered  a  house.  In  a  few  minutes 
she  was  in  a  well-furnished  bedroom,  straightened  her 
self  up,  took  off  the  bonnet  and  cloak  and  the  manly 
form  of  Ned  Pierce — The  Liquor  Men's  Detective — 

stood  there. 

********* 

Mayor  Homer  looked  puzzled,  as  he  sat  in  his  private 
office  at  the  City  Hall,  with  his  elbow  on  the  table  and 
his  head  resting  on  his  hand.  The  first  week  had  passed 
of  the  month  during  which  The  Prohibitionists  were 
to  have  full  control  of  the  city. 

Every  saloon  had  been  closed  and  the  police  were 
ordered  to  arrest  anyone  of  whom  the  slightest  sus 
picion  of  selling  liquor  was  held. 

Yet,  notwithstanding,  there  had  been  more  drunks 
arrested  and  brought  into  his  Court,  in  the  last  week, 
than  in  any  previous  corresponding  week  of  his  admin 
istration. 

He  had  ordered  The  Clerk  of  The  Court  to  look  up 
the  corresponding  week  of  the  last  year  and  compare 
it  with  this,  and  he  reported  that  there  had  been  more 
than  twice  as  many  people  arrested  for  being  drunk 
and  down  than  the  year  before. 

The  police  reported  they  found  drunks  everywhere. 
Before  the  saloons  were  closed  they  found  the  drunks, 
if  any,  not  far  from  the  saloons;  but  now  they  found 
them  in  the  streets;  in  the  alleys;  in  grocery  stores;  in 
and  around  drug  stores,  butcher  shops  and  everywhere. 
As  he  was  puzzling  over  it,  Lucy  Hurryup,  Rev.  Nostir 
and  Deacon  Going,  after  knocking,  entered. 

The  Mayor  seated  them  and  Lucy,  in  her  most  exu 
berant  mood,  exclaimed: 

"You  ought  to  have  been  at  our  Ratification  Meeting, 
yesterday  afternoon!  We  had  a  glorious  time!" 


260  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Yes,"  said  Rev.  Nostir,  "The  Lord  filled  the  meeting 
for  us,  so  that  our  hearts  were  uplifted  in  thanks  and 
congratulations  for  blinding  the  eyes  of  the  Liquor 
Leaders,  to  rush  to  their  own  destruction!" 

Deacon  Going  added:  "For  which  we  praise  The 
Lord!" 

The  Mayor  looked  so  serious  that  Lucy  asked: 

"Are  you  feeling  well,  Mayor?" 

Mayor  Homer  answered,  evasively: 

"There  seems  to  be  a  great  many  drunken  people 
brought  into  my  Court  during  the  last  week." 

"Oh!"  exclaimed  Lucy,  "they  are  all  drinking  up  the 
last  whisky  they  have  got.  When  that  is  all  gone,  you 
will  see  that  there  will  be  no  more  drunks. 

"Another  thing  I  want  to  tell  you,  is  that  Hal.  Cleve, 
our  Prohibition  Detective,  reported  to  Dr.  Nostir  and 
me  that  a  good  many  of  the  policemen,  themselves, 
drink  on  the  sly. 

"Now,  you  must  put  a  stop  to  that,  for  the  police 
men  set  a  bad  example  to  the  whole  town,  and  maybe 
they  help  a  good  many  others  to  get  liquor!" 

"That  is  true,  Mayor!"  added  Rev.  Nostir.  "  'Exam 
ple  is  better  than  precept/  and  if  the  authorities  are 
sinners  in  the  sight  of  God,  they  set  a  bad  example  to 
the  people!" 

«A— a— men!"  said  Deacon  Going. 

The  Mayor  looked  down  and  replied: 

"I  hate  to  interfere  with  my  police  force;  they  work 
like  clock  work  and  The  Chief  is  a  fine  man  and 
oflicer!" 

Lucy  straightened  herself  up,  threw  back  her  head 
and  exclaimed: 

"Rut  it  is  your  duty  to  our  cause.  Mayor  Homer,  to 
The  Lord  and  to  the  People  to  discharge  those  drunkard 
policemen  and  put  some  others  in  their  places!" 

"Yes,  that  is  right!"  added  Rev.  Nostir,  and  Deacon 
Going  said:    "A — a — men!" 
Lucy  went  on: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  261 

"Suppose,  at  the  end  of  this  month,  the  Liquor  Forces 
surrender  the  Government  of  The  City  into  our  hands, 
which  there  is  no  doubt  of,  how  can  we  run  The  City, 
as  a  Prohibition  community,  if  the  policemen  all  drink? 
You  must  discharge  them!" 

"Yes,  that  surely  ought  to  be  done,  Mayor,  if  we 
want  God  to  bless  us!"  added  Rev.  Nostir,  and  Deacon 
Going  exclaimed:  "A — a — men!" 

"Well,"  said  The  Mayor,  restlessly,  "I  will  call  in 
The  Chief  of  Police,  during  the  day,  and  have  a  talk 
with  him  to  that  end." 

When  Lucy  and  the  other  Prohibitionists  were  gone, 
The  Mayor  tapped  a  bell  on  his  table  and  a  page  came 
in  from  the  Court  Room. 

"Find  The  Chief  of  Police  and  tell  him  The  Mayor 
would  like  to  see  him,  early!"  commanded  The  Mayor, 
and  the  page  bowed  and  retired. 

Mayor  Homer  was  cross,  when  the  serious  and  manly 
face  of  the  strong  Chief  of  Police  Murray  made  his 
appearance.  The  Chief  was  seated  in  front  of  him, 
and  he  said: 

"Chief,  I  am  told  that  many  of  the  Police  Force 
drink  whisky.  Is  that  so?" 

"Yes,  Your  Honor,  some  of  them  do,"  answered  The 
Chief. 

The  Mayor  sat  up  straight  in  his  chair  and  in  an 
authoritative  manner  exclaimed: 

"Well,  that  has  got  to  be  stopped!" 

The  Chief  looked  at  The  Mayor,  calmly,  for  a 
moment  and  remarked,  slowly: 

"The  Police  Force,  Your  Honor,  is  in  very  fine 
shape,  now,  but,  if  you  issue  such  an  order  as  that, 
some  of  our  best  officers  will  resign  and  you  cannot 
fill  their  places!" 

"Do  you  mean  to  tell  me,"  exclaimed  The  Mayor, 
leaning  forward  and  bringing  his  fist  down  on  the  desk, 
"that  you  cannot  fill  the  place  of  a  lot  of  drunken 
policemen  with  sober  men?" 


262  COLONEL   BERRY'S   CHALLENGE 

The  Chief  looked  The  Mayor  unflinchingly  in  the 
eye  and  replied: 

"With  all  due  respect,  I  want  to  correct  you,  Your 
Honor.  In  the  first  place  they  are  not  'drunken  police 
men,'  for  a  man  can  drink  all  his  life  and  not  be 
drunken,  and  in  the  second  place,  I  say  you  cannot  fill 
the  places,  easily,  of  such  officers.  A  policeman  is 
like  a  soldier  and  you  cannot  make  one  in  a  day. 

"The  policeman  has  to  be  a  little  of  everything — a 
merchant,  politician,  lawyer,  doctor  and  even,  some 
times,  a  priest. 

"Look  what  Henry  Vickers  did,  two  weeks  ago,  when 
that  man  was  blown  up  with  gunpowder.  Nobody 
could  find  the  priest,  for  he  was  away,  and  Vickers 
baptized  the  man  and  read  The  Prayer  Book  to  him 
until  he  died. 

"It  takes  a  long  time  to  make  a  successful  police 
man  and,  when  they  are  good  ones,  the  public  does 
not  appreciate  them  and  looks  upon  them  as  a  coarse, 
gruff  and  cruel  lot  of  men,  looking  around  for  someone 
to  club. 

"I  tell  you  that  the  average  policeman,  though  he 
is  thrown  constantly  with  bad  characters,  cruel  scenes 
and  violent  work,  has  as  kind  and  tender  a  heart  as 
the  members  of  any  other  class  of  people. 

"Look  at  Bill  Blue,  when  that  large  ice  wagon  ran 
over  and  killed  that  little  girl  in  his  district  I  He  was 
telling  me  about  it  and  he  cried  like  a  child.  He  said 
the  little  girl,  whenever  he  passed  her  mother's  gate 
on  his  beat  every  day,  would  come  out  and  bring  him 
a  flower  or  some  candy,  and  he  would  take  her  up  in 
his  strong  arms  and  she  would  lisp  out  baby  talk  to 
him. 

"Sometimes,  on  cold  days,  her  mother  would  let  her 
take  'her  policeman*  out  a  cup  of  hot  coffee.  I  tell 
you,  Mayor,  it  made  me  cry,  too,  to  see  the  largest 
man  on  the  force  take  on  so;  and  yet  the  Public  thinks 


CELENEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  263 

policemen   have   no   hearts.     And   both   of   those   men 
take  their  drinks. 

"I  want  to  call  your  attention,  particularly,  Your 
Honor,  to  Jimmy  Maloney  and,  though  I  am  his  superior 
quite  a  number  of  times  in  rank,  I  will  take  off  my 
hat  to  him  any  time  out  of  respect. 

"Jimmy  has  the  Fifth  District  to  look  after,  and  it 
has  the  toughest  and  most  desperate  element  of  people 
in  this  region  living  there.  Jimmy  is  a  drinking  man, 
but  he  keeps  order  in  his  district  and  has  it  under 
perfect  control;  something  that  no  other  policeman 
ever  did  that  was  sent  into  that  district. 

"All  the  force  recollects  the  battle  that  Jimmy  had 
with  Joe  Ganzel,  the  desperado,  when  he  first  took  that 
district.  Joe  had  a  revolver  and  a  knife  and  Jimmy 
only  his  club.  Jimmy  got  shot  twice  and  cut  once,  but 
he  whipped  his  man  and  landed  him  in  jail. 

"The  women  and  men,  who  saw  the  battle,  say  that 
it  lasted  one-half  hour.  That  is  when  Joe  got  his  nose 
broken,  and  I  think  Joe  and  his  pals  are  not  afraid  of 
any  man  on  earth,  but  Jimmy  Maloney;  for  they  know 
he  will  get  them,  if  he  has  to  go  into  a  rat  hole  after 
them. 

"There  is  not  an  officer  on  The  Police  Force  who 
would  take  Jimmy's  District  for  double  his  wages,  and 
now  you  want  to  get  rid  of  him,  because  he  takes  a 
few  drinks  a  day,  and  put  in  his  place  some  pious, 
cowardly  fool,  whom  the  toughs  will  run  out  of  the 
District  inside  of  a  week!" 

"Understand  me,  Chief,  I  do  not  want  to  get  rid  of 
these  officers,  but  they  must  quit  drinking;  for  that  is 
the  policy  of  my  administration!"  said  The  Mayor. 

The  Chief  looked  at  him,  sorrowfully,  and  exclaimed: 

"Then  we  will  lose  them,  for  I  am  sure  they  will 
resign!" 

"Suppose  we  send  for  Jimmy  Maloney,  Chief,  and 
see  if  we  cannot  get  him  to  quit  drinking,"  added  The 
Mayor. 


264  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Well,  you  will  have  to  take  all  the  responsibility 
and  do  all  the  talking,  Your  Honor.  I  say  it  with 
respect,  but  it  is  against  my  judgment.  If  I  have  dis 
pleased  you,  I  will  hand  in  my  resignation  right  now, 
Your  Honor!"  exclaimed  The  Chief.  The  Mayor  replied, 
apologetically: 

"Oh,  no;  you  are  perfectly  satisfactory!  We  were 
talking  about  Jimmy  Maloney.  Send  for  him  or  go 
and  bring  him  here!" 

The  Chief  stepped  to  the  table,  wrote  a  note,  enclosed 
it  in  an  envelope  and  The  Mayor  tapped  the  bell.  When 
a  page  appeared  The  Chief  said: 

"Deliver  that  to  Policeman  Maloney,  District  No.  5!" 

Jimmy  Maloney  was  walking  along  a  block  in  his 
district,  both  sides  of  the  street  being  lined  with  frame 
houses,  not  of  the  best.  He  was  of  medium  size,  but 
very  heavily  built,  and  as  he  stepped  along  with  springy 
step,  his  club  in  right  hand,  he  looked  as  if  every 
muscle  were  disciplined  and  under  perfect  control. 

Jimmy  had  red  hair,  a  kind  of  square  head  and 
jaw,  small  nose — inclined  to  turn  up — and  dark  blue 
eyes,  that  were  always  roving.  His  mouth  was  aggres 
sive  and  determined,  but  not  bad  looking. 

He  saw  a  crowd  of  boys  running  hastily  across  the 
street,  on  the  next  block,  and  was  wondering  what 
they  were  doing,  when  suddenly  a  Court  House  page 
approached  and  handed  him  a  note. 

"What  in  ther  Divvil  is  that?"  exclaimed  Jimmy,  as 
the  page  walked  away.  He  opened  the  envelope  and 
read: 

MAYOR'S  OFFICE. 
City  Hall. 

"Dear  Jimmy: 

"The  Mayor  wishes  to  see  you  at  City  Hall.  Can 
you  come  at  once?  I  will  be  there. 

"THE  CHIEF." 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  265 

He  read  the  note  twice,  put  it  inside  his  great  coat 
and  muttered  to  himself,  as  he  walked  back  toward 
The  City  Hall: 

"Divvil  a  bit!  It  manes  aither  Oim  ter  be  promoted 
or  discharged!  Aither  one  suits  me,  fur  Oim  toiredl" 

When  Jimmy  was  admitted  to  The  Mayor's  presence 
in  his  private  office  by  the  page,  he  entered  fearlessly, 
though  respectfully,  like  a  soldier,  stepped  up  in  front 
of  The  Chief  and  saluted;  then  before  The  Mayor  and 
saluted,  exclaiming: 

"Chafe  and  Yer  Honor,  Oim  here  fur  yer  orders  I" 

As  The  Mayor  looked  at  Jimmy's  rigid,  virile,  soldier 
like  attitude,  he  could  say  nothing  for  a  moment.  At 
last  he  said  in  a  very  dignified  tone: 

"Officer  Maloney,  I  am  told  that  you  and  a  number 
of  officers  on  the  force  are  addicted  to  the  habit  of 
drinking  whisky.  Is  that  so?" 

"Yis,  Yer  Honor;  Oi  takes  me  thrinks  siveral  toimes 
a  day  and  makes  no  sacret  uv  it!"  answered  Jimmy, 
resoectfully. 

"Well,  that  is  a  bad  example  you  are  setting  to  all 
of  your  district  and  the  whole  City!  This  is  a  Pro 
hibition  Administration  and  you  must  stop  it,  imme 
diately,  or  I  will  have  to  put  someone  else  in  your 
place!"  said  The  Mayor,  sternly. 

Jimmy  looked  sorry  and  replied: 

"Yer  Honor,  that  is  aisy  ter  say— 'shstop  thrinking'! 
But  whin  ther  childer  and  ther  bys  get  ter  breakin' 
ther  winders;  whin  ther  thrunks  are  all  down  in  all 
ther  straits  and  alleys;  whin  ther  gangs  are  shootin' 
and  cuttin'  aich  ither's  throats,  and  whin  ther  wimmin 
are  pullin  aich  ither's  hair  and  schraming  loike  ther 
Divvil,  it  gets  on  me  noives  and  Oi  must  hev  a  thrink 
or  go  crazy!" 

"I  cannot  help  it,  officer,"  said  The  Mayor,  "I  have 
established  that  rule  and  cannot  vary  from  it  in  your 
case!"  said  The  Mayor,  firmly. 


266 

Raising  his  hand  to  his  head  in  salute,  Jimmy 
replied: 

"Well,  yer  Honor,  that  wud  make  me  loike  er  dead 
man.  Take  me  shield  and  gun  fur  oim  goin'  back  tur 
me  little  farm  in  ther  counthree!" 

He  took  off  his  shield  and  club  and  placed  them  on 
the  table  before  The  Mayor  and  then  unstrapping  his 
gun  from  under  his  coat,  did  the  same  with  that.  Jimmy 
Maloney  saluted  The  Mayor,  The  Chief,  and  then 
exclaiming:  "Good-by,  Chafe!"  he  left  the  room. 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

The  mail  carrier  stepped  up  to  the  fine  residence  of 
Miss  Lucy  Hurryup  and  handed  to  the  pretty  housegirl, 
who  came  to  the  door,  some  letters.  When  he  was 
gone  she  closed  the  front  door  and  looked  over  the 
letters.  One  was  for  Miss  Lucy  and  the  other  for 
herself. 

The  maid  knew  the  writing  on  her  letter  and  pressed 
it  to  her  bosom,  thinking: 

"I  will  wait  until  I  deliver  Miss  Lucy's  letter  to 
her,  in  the  parlor,  before  I  open  mine." 

It  was  an  elegant  parlor  in  which  Lucy  sat,  and 
credit  must  be  given  her  for  furnishing  and  decorating 
it  so  beautifully;  in  fact,  everything  in  her  large  house 
was  nice. 

One  might  ask  how  it  was  that  Lucy  came  into 
possession  of  such  a  nice  piece  of  property,  and  how 
she  kept  it  up  and  paid  all  the  incidental  expenses. 

Some  years  back  Lucy  was  a  schoolteacher,  who 
are  proverbially  without  much  means.  But,  being 
smart,  she  joined  one  society  after  another,  until  one 
day  she  struck  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  and  became  prominent 
in  it.  So  aggressive  and  plausible  was  Lucy  that  she 
was  elected  President  of  the  Branch  where  she  was 
located,  which  had,  as  members,  several  philanthropic, 
wealthy  old  men.  So  impressed  was  one  of  these  old 
men  with  Lucy's  ability,  energy  and  philanthropy  that 
he  left  her,  in  his  will,  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  267 

to  be  devoted  toward  the  cause  of  Temperance,  as  her 
judgment  might  dictate.  The  will  stated  that  she  need 
give  no  bond  and  could  do  with  the  money  as  she 
thought  best  for  the  cause. 

It  was  not  long  after  Lucy  came  into  posses 
sion  of  the  money  before  she,  with  Deacon  Going's 
assistance,  bought  herself  a  fine  residence  in  Batesville, 
that  cost  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  reasoning  to 
the  effect  and  stating  that  if  she  wanted  to  advance  the 
cause  of  Temperance,  she  must  have  a  home  to  live  in. 

Of  course  the  other  seventy-five  thousand  dollars 
she  had  in  bank,  in  her  own  name;  but,  so  long  as  col 
lections  from  society  meetings,  church  meetings  and 
gifts  from  charitable  old  men  and  women  could  be 
gotten  so  easily,  to  save  those  poor  drunkards,  why 
touch  that  money  in  bank?  It  would  be  better  to  let 
it  draw  interest  and  compound  itself.  A  little  more 
could  be  put  with  it  from  gifts  and  collections,  now 
and  then,  and  there  was  plenty  of  time  to  think  about 
that  money. 

However  Lucy  sat  back  in  her  rocking  chair  and 
felt  pretty  comfortable,  as  Nita  entered  and  handed 
Her  a  letter,  which  Lucy  glanced  at,  exclaiming: 

"From  my  sister,  Mrs.  Senator  Brentwood!" 

Nita  left  the  room  and  Lucy  tore  open  the  letter 
and  read: 

Belgrave  Hotel, 

Washington,  D.  G. 
"Dear  Sister: 

"I  have  concluded  to  accept  your  invitation,  extended 
so  often,  and  to  come  and  pay  you  a  visit  for  a  few 
weeks.     Expect  me  the  first  of  next  week. 
"Your  affectionate  sister, 

"RACHEL  H.   BRENTWOOD." 

It  would  have  been  better,  Lucy  thought,  if  her 
sister  had  made  up  her  mind  to  come  at  a  less  exciting 
time,  say  after  that  month  had  passed  and  the  City 


268  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Government  more   entirely  in  the  hands  of  The  Pro 
hibitionists;  that  is  permanently. 

A  frown  came  over  her  strong  face,  as  she  laid 
her  head  back  on  the  ornamental  pillow  at  the  top  of 
the  rocking  chair,  and  she  recollected  that  it  was  the 
third  week  of  The  Prohibition  Month  and  Hal  Cleve, 
who  had  visited  her  yesterday,  reported  that  drunks 
and  drunken  men  and  women  were  increasing  in  num 
bers  every  day.  He  had  been  to  The  Mayor's  Court, 
Police  Headquarters,  Jail  and  all  the  principle  public 
places,  and  he  found  that  drunken  men  was  greatly  on 
the  increase. 

Lucy  told  Cleve  she  knew  that  there  was  some  secret 
conspiracy,  between  The  Berry's  and  the  policemen, 
to  increase  Whiskey  sales;  but  the  Detective  replied 
that  it  could  not  be  so,  for  he  and  his  helps  had  kept 
constant  watch  on  The  Distilleries  and  they  had  seen 
nothing  at  all  out  of  the  way  done  by  them,  and  the 
police  seemed  to  be  doing  their  full  duty.  When  Nita 
left  the  parlor,  she  went  into  the  dining  room,  opened 
her  letter,  took  out  a  pressed  pansy  and  stepped  to  a 
large  window  and  read  the  letter.  This  is  what  it  said: 

"Dearest,  if  you  can  come  down  to  the  postoffice, 
when  you  get  off  to-night,  I  will  be  there,  and  it  will 
please,  as  ever 

"Your  lover, 

"NED  PIERCE." 

Ned  had  been  paying  attention  to  Nita,  before  he 
quit  the  Photograph  business.  The  reason  he  quit  that 
business  was  that  he  could  make  more  money  doing 
Detective  work;  but  he  found  out  that  the  knowledge 
he  had  acquired  in  photography  had  often  served  him 
well  in  Detective  work, — especially  in  the  use  of  the 
camera  and  developing  pictures  from  the  negatives. 

Nita  kissed  the  flower,  kissed  the  letter,  folded  it 
carefully  and  put  it  in  her  bosom.  She  then  went 
about  her  housework. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  269 

Suddenly  the  doorbell  rang  and  she  went  to  the  door. 
There  was  a  large  well  dressed  young  woman  there, 
who  said  in  a  curious  kind  of  voice: 

"Does  The  Honorable  Lucy  Hurryup  live  here?" 

When  informed  that  she  did  the  young  woman 
stepped  into  the  hall  and  asked  if  she  could  see  her. 
Hearing  the  commotion  going  on  in  the  hall,  Lucy 
opened  the  parlor  door  and  invited  the  young  woman 
to  come  into  the  parlor,  and  closed  the  door. 

When  they  were  seated  the  young  woman  looked 
around  suspiciously  several  times  and  then  took  a  letter 
from  out  of  her  pocket,  tore  it  open,  took  out  a  card,  and 
handed  it  to  Lucy,  which  she  took  and  read  on  it: 

"HAL  VANSKI,  Business  Agent, 
National  Shoe  Workers'  Union,  No.  5." 
Lucy  shrank  back,  when  she  read  it,  but  in  a  moment 
gained  her  composure  and  held  out  her  hand,  smiling, 
which   he   took   and   pressed   it.     Vanski    stood    there, 
talking   in    a    low-toned    conversation,    for    about    two 
hours. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  and  Lucy  had  passed  a 
strenuous  day  of  it  in  various  ways,  and  now  she  was 
feeling  the  effects  of  it,  in  being  very  tired;  in  having 
a  headache  and  very  bad  cold.  She  went  up  to  her 
bedroom  and  lay  on  the  bed,  but  it  did  no  good,  for 
she  snuffed  and  snuffed  with  cold  in  her  head. 

Sitting  in  her  large,  comfortable  bedroom  chair,  she 
said  to  herself: 

"What  shall  I  do?  I  would  not  go  to  see  Dr.  Biddle 
for  anything  and  I  know  as  much,  myself,  as  the  other 
doctors.  If  I  only  had  some  of  that  Medicine  left!  but 
it  is  all  gone!" 

She  stepped  to  her  closet,  opened  the  door  and  took 
down  a  bottle  from  the  shelf.  Getting  the  cork  out, 
she  looked  into  the  bottle;  then  got  a  glass  from  the 
washstand  and  tried  to  pour  something  out  from  the 
bottle,  but  there  was  none  left. 


270  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Sitting  down  in  the  chair  again,  Lucy  snuffled  and 
blew  her  nose  and  blew  her  nose  and  snuffled,  and 
then  throwing  her  head  back  and  closing  her  eyes, 
exclaimed: 

"Oh!  I  dare  not  trust  anybody  to  get  it  for  me,  and 
every  place  is  shut  tight;  and  I  dare  not  get  it  myself 
and  do  not  know  where  to  go,  anyhow.  Let  me  think! 

"Maybe  some  of  the  bellboys  at  The  Hinsdale  Hotel 
might  be  able  to  get  me  a  little,— just  for  Medicinal 
Purposes.  I  will  pay  him  well  and  he  will  say  nothing  1" 

With  a  resolute  air  Lucy  put  on  her  bonnet,  went 
down  stairs,  told  Nita  she  would  be  back  soon  to  supper 
and  in  a  moment  was  in  the  street. 

As  she  walked  on,  she  saw  a  large,  foreign-looking 
man,  with  long,  partially  gray  beard,  walking  abreast 
of  her  on  the  other  side  of  the  street.  He  paid  no 
particular  attention  to  her  and  had  a  sheet  of  paper 
in  his  hand  that  looked  like  music,  which  he  was 
scrutinizing  closely  thru  his  large  glasses,  and  she  con 
cluded  he  was  a  music  teacher. 

In  a  little  while  Lucy  came  to  the  Ladies'  Entrance 
of  The  Hinsdale  Hotel  and  went  up  stairs  to  the  Parlor, 
where  she  walked  softly  up  and  down  across  the  soft 
carpet  for  quite  a  while,  before  she  concluded  what 
to  do. 

All  of  a  sudden  Lucy  saw  a  boy  move  slowly  past 
the  parlor  door.  It  was  Tommy  Dust  and  she  hailed 
him,  saying: 

"I  want  to  ask  a  favor  of  you  and,  if  you  will  do  it 
and  say  nothing,  I  will  pay  you  well.  I  want  you  to 
get  me  a  bottle  of  Whiskey,  for  Medicinal  Purposes!" 

This  she  said  in  a  low,  confidential  voice,  to  which 
Tommy  replied: 

"The  Prohibitionists  and  The  Mayor  have  shut  up 
our  Bar  and  every  saloon  in  town  and  how  am  I  going 
to  get  any?" 

Tommy  knew  Lucy,  but  she  did  not  know  him. 
She  answered  him:  [ 


.COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  271 

"You  boys  know  most  everything.  Do  you  not  know 
a  place  where  you  can  get  some?  I  am  ill  and  need 
some  I" 

"Well,"  said  Tommy,  "all  I  can  say  is, — if  you  will 
put  two  dollars  under  that  piano  cover,  over  there, 
and  come  back  here  in  a  half  hour,  somebody  will  put 
a  bottle  of  Whiskey,  wrapped  up,  behind  that  sofa  in 
the  corner,  which  you  can  get,"  and  Tommy  stepped 
out  into  the  hall. 

There  was  nobody  in  the  Parlor,  now,  so  Lucy 
opened  her  purse,  looked  carefully  around,  stepped  up 
to  the  piano,  lifted  the  cover  and  hastily  put  two 
silver  dollars  under  it;  then  walked  out  and  down 
stairs.  Tommy  stole  after  her  and  watched  her  go  out 
the  door  of  Ladies'  Entrance,  at  foot  of  the  stairs. 

Lucy  came  back  to  the  Parlor,  promptly,  when  the 
half-hour  was  out,  looked  behind  the  sofa  and  there 
was  the  package,  which  she  took  and,  in  a  few  minutes, 
was  quickly  walking  towards  home  with  it  in  her  arms; 
but  she  did  not  see  the  music  teacher,  as  he  walked 
behind  her. 

After  eating  her  supper,  which  had  been  awaiting 
her,  Lucy  left  the  Dining  Room  for  the  Parlor  to  get 
something  she  wanted  to  take  upstairs  with  her  and 
said: 

"Nita  do  not  stay  out  late,  for  the  cook  has  gone 
to  spend  the  night  with  her  daughter,  and  I  do  not 
like  to  stay  alone  in  the  house  much.  You  can  sleep 
in  the  room  next  to  mine,  to-night,  for  I  am  not  feeling 
very  well  and  may  call  you!  You  have  a  latch  key  and 
can  let  yourself  io.  I  am  going  to  bed!" 

"All  right!  Miss  Lucy!"  answered  Nita  from  the 
kitchen  and  Lucy  went  up  stairs.  In  a  few  moments 
Nita  put  out  the  light  and  hastily  went  out  the  front 
door. 

When  Lucy  heard  the  front  door  close  after  Nita 
she  went  down  stairs  to  the  kitchen,  lit  a  light  and 
filled  a  pitcher  with  hot  water  from  the  kettle.  Coming 


272  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

thru  the  Dining  Room  she  put  some  lumps  of  white 
sugar  in  a  large  cup,  put  out  the  lights,  went  up  to 
her  bedroom,  put  the  sugar  and  hot  water  on  her  center- 
table,  where  the  package  was,  and  locked  the  door. 

Lucy  then  disrobed  and  put  on  her  night  dress  and 
went  and  sat  down  at  her  center  table,  when  she  opened 
the  package  and  took  out  a  quart  bottle  of  Whisky. 

Pouring  some  hot  water  into  a  glass  and  putting 
some  sugar  lumps  in  with  a  teaspoon,  Lucy  filled  the 
glass  full  of  Whiskey  and  drank  it  a  little  at  a  time, 
until  it  was  all  gone. 

"I  feel  that — it  has  done — my  cold  good,  already!" 
she  exclaimed,  getting  up  and  walking  to  the  mirror. 
"I  not  only — feel  better — but  I — look — bet — ter  and — I 
guess — I  will  take — a — little  more!" 

She  went  and  sat  down  at  the  center  table  again, 
but  her  hand  was  not  so  steady,  as  she  got  the  Whiskey, 
sugar  and  water,  which  she  mixed,  as  before,  and, 
drank.  Her  eyes  began  to  blur  and  her  head  began  to 
feel  confused. 

What  did  she  leave  those  shoes  in  the  middle  of  the 
floor  for?  She  would  put  them  under  the  bed. 

Rising  and  reaching  for  the  shoes,  Lucy  pitched 
forward  and  turned  one  of  the  large  chairs  over  on 
its  side,  falling  over  herself  on  her  face. 

Wildly  scrambling  to  get  up,  she  caught  hold  of 
the  bedcover,  staggered  backward  and  pulled  it  with 
her  to  the  floor.  She  then  succeeded  in  getting  up  and 
sitting  down  in  the  chair  at  the  center  table  and  con 
cluded  she  would  take  one  more  glass  and  get  into  bed. 

In  attempting  to  pour  the  hot  water  into  glass,  this 
time,  she  spilt  a  good  deal  of  it,  and  so  with  the  sugar 
and  Whiskey.  She  got  it  all  in  though,  stirred  it,  drank 
it  down,  with  difficulty,  and  got  up  with  the  intention  of 
going  to  bed;  but  her  head  swimming  she  swayed  from 
side  to  side,  until  she  caught  hold  of  the  table,  in  falling, 
and  over  went  table,  Whiskey,  hot  water  and  glass. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  273 

The  glass  and  Whiskey  bottle  lay  on  their  sides, 
but  the  pitcher  was  smashed  into  many  pieces;  while 
Lucy  Hurryup  was  stretched  out,  totally  unconscious, 
on  her  back  with  her  face  upwards. 

About  ten  o'clock  Nita  softly  came  to  the  front  door 
of  the  house  with  a  man,  who  had  something  under 
his  arm.  He  kept  close  to  her,  while  she  opened  the 
door  with  her  latch  key  and  stepped  into  the  house 
after  her,  she  leading  him  in  the  darkness. 

She  whispered: 

"Stay  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  Ned,  dear,  until  I 
go  up  and  see  how  the  land  lies.  Take  off  your  shoes, 
so  there  will  be  no  noise!" 

Nita  went  softly  up  stairs  in  the  dark,  entered  the 
back  room  and  tried  the  door,  opening  into  Lucy 
Hurryup's,  but  it  was  locked. 

She  listened,  could  hear  no  sound,  took  off  her 
shoes,  slipped  carefully  down  stairs  and  came  back, 
leading  Ned  Pierce,  until  they  came  into  her  room. 

Nita  put  Ned  into  a  closet, — with  the  door  not  quite 
closed,  lit  a  light,  turned  it  down  low  and  listened. 
There  was  no  sound.  She  turned  the  doorknob  quite 
a  number  of  times,  so  as  to  wake  Miss  Lucy,  if  she 
were  going  to  wake.  She  could  see  that  there  was  a 
light  on  Lucy's  mantlepiece,  but  that  was  all  she  could 
see. 

Ned  came  out  of  the  closet  then,  took  some  keys 
out  of  his  pocket  and  soon  opened  the  door.  What  a 
sight  there  was  met  their  eyes,  as  Lucy  lay  there  on 
the  floor! 

Nita  would  have  screamed,  if  Ned  had  not  clapped 
his  hand  over  her  mouth.  He  pushed  her  back  from 
going  to  Lucy,  took  his  camera  and  photographed 
Lucy  in  the  condition  she  was  and  the  whole  room, 
from  several  different  positions. 

They  left  Lucy  there,  just  as  she  was,  and  as  Nita 
locked  the  door,  Ned  Pierce  said  to  his  sweetheart  in  a 
low  voice: 


274  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"I  would  not  take  a  thousand  dollars  for  that  pic 
ture,  dear!" 

After  kissing  Nita  several  times,  she  let  the  Detective 
out  the  front  door  and  went  up  stairs  to  bed.  They 
were  married  the  next  Sunday. 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

Tom  Fray  was  a  fat,  genial  kind  of  man,  with  good 
common  sense  and  ordinary  ability.  For  many  years 
he  had  been  an  admirer  of  and  worker  for  Colonel 
Berry  and  the  latter  had  had  him  nominated  for  Mayor 
at  this  election;  but,  on  account  of  the  vote  being  so 
near  a  tie,  and  the  peculiar  agreement  made  between 
Colonel  Berry  and  The  Prohibitionists,  some  expressed 
doubt  that  The  Liquor  Forces  would  win,  and  that 
Tom  would  go  in  as  Mayor. 

As  Tom  walked  along  the  street,  slowly,  he  read  the 
latest  issue  of  The  Trumpet  with  a  smile,  which  had 
printed  in  large  headlines: 

SAY  CONDITION  OF  CITY  HORRIBLE! 


Drunks  on  Every  Block — District  Number  Five 
In  Anarchy! 

"In  response  to  numerous  complaints,  in  the  shape 
of  letters  to  this  paper,  calling  attention  to  the  ever 
increasing  drunkenness  in  our  city  and  other  disorders, 
our  reporter  interviewed  Mayor  Homer  and  Chief  of 
Police  Murray  on  the  subject. 

"After  close  questioning,  The  Mayor,  though  he  was 
inclined  to  be  somewhat  evasive,  at  last  admitted  that 
there  is  a  great  d:al  more  drunkenness  now  than  there 
ever  was  before  in  this  city.  When  asked  what  was 
the  cause  of  it,  The  Mayor  was  still  more  evasive  and 
would  only  say  that  he  had  kept  a  watch  on  every 
saloon,  and  that  no  liquor  was  sold  from  that  source. 
Where  the  people  got  the  Liquor  he  could  not  tell. 

"The  Chief  of  Police  was  more  outspoken  and  said 
that  he  never  was  in  favor  of  Prohibition,  though  he 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  275 

never  drinks  himself.  When  asked  about  the  anarchy 
that  exists  in  District  Number  5,  The  Chief  answered 
thus: 

"Several  weeks  ago  The  Mayor  told  me,  as  he  was 
a  Prohibition  Mayor,  he  would  have  no  officer  on  The 
Police  Force  who  drinks.  I  protested  and  told  him,  if 
he  enforced  that  rule,  we  would  lose  some  of  our  best 
officers. 

"Jimmy  Maloney  is  the  only  officer  who  has  been 
able  to  keep  District  Number  5  in  order,  for  many 
years,  and  he  takes  several  drinks  a  day.  When  The 
Mayor  called  Jimmy  up  and  told  him  he  would  have 
to  quit  drinking,  Jimmy  turned  in  his  shield  and  left 
town.  What  has  been  the  result?  Fights,  robberies 
and  housebreaking;  assaults  on  women,  extreme  drunk 
enness,  murders,  wife-beating,  husband-stabbing,  riots 
and  disorder  of  every  kind. 

"Mayor  Homer  named  a  man  for  Jimmy's  place, 
whom  I  put  in  District  Number  5.  The  first  night  on 
the  beat  he  was  rotten-egged  by  half-grown  boys  so 
badly  that  he  had  to  get  a  new  uniform.  The  next 
day  a  trap  was  laid  for  him  and  he  fell  into  a  deep 
sewer  and  sprained  his  leg  and,  when  going  home, 
several  of  Joe  Ganzel's  gang  jumped  out  of  an  alley, 
knocked  him  senseless,  stamped  on  him,  stripped  all 
of  his  uniform  off,  carried  it  and  his  gun  away  and 
left  him  in  the  alley  almost  naked. 

"I  have  had  to  keep  since  then  three  officers  in  that 
District  all  the  time,  at  the  expense  of  the  city,  and 
none  of  them  will  stay  long.  But  what  can  I  do  in  the 
matter,  for  The  Mayor  says  he  is  going  to  carry  out 
his  Prohibition  Policy  and,  as  he  is  my  superior,  I 
have  to  obey.  If  Mayor  Homer  does  not  like  what  I 
have  told  you,  he  can  have  my  resignation  at  any 
moment!" 

Tom  Fray  folded  up  the  paper,  put  it  in  his  pocket 
and,  as  he  went  up  the  Post  Office  steps,  fairly  laughed 
outright. 


276  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

As  Mayor  Homer  was  about  to  enter  the  Post  Office 
he  met  Major  Ashcraft  coming  out.  The  Mayor  shook 
hands  and  said: 

"What  do  you  think  of  that  article  in  The  Trumpet, 
that  came  out  this  morning,  Major?" 

The  Major  looked  at  him  a  moment,  kind  of  smiled 
and  answered: 

"Guess  they  have  you,  or  us,  in  a  kind  of  bad  fix, 
have  they  not,  Mayor?" 

The  Mayor  replied: 

"Oh,  that  is  a  Liquor  paper,  you  know,  and  we 
Prohibitionists  must  expect  to  be  attacked  by  it!" 

"Yes,  I  know,"  said  The  Major,  "but  I  have  always 
found  that  The  Trumpet  is  very  fair  in  all  its  state 
ments." 

"How  do  you  think  we  are  coming  out  in  our  con 
test,  this  month,  with  the  Liquor  Crowd,  Major?"  asked 
The  Mayor. 

Major  Ashcraft  shook  his  head,  slowly,  and  said: 

"It  looks  bad,  between  you  and  me,  Mayor." 

"Oh,  wait  until  Colonel  Berry  puts  up  his  Whisky 
Trough,  next  month,  and  then  you  will  see  drunkenness 
that  is  drunkenness!"  exclaimed  The  Mayor. 

"Well,  you  only  have  to  wait  three  days  and  then 
we  will  see,"  said  The  Major. 

As  Major  Ashcraft  went  along  the  street  toward  his 
office,  he  passed  Judge  Elmira  Sims  and  Lawyer  I.  C. 
Wisdom,  in  conversation;  both  of  whom  bowed  to  him. 

"Why  do  you  think  The  Prohibitionists  are  going 
to  lose,  Judge?"  asked  The  Lawyer. 

The  Judge  slowly  replied: 

"Because,  Wisdom,  it  is  a  principle  in  lower  animal 
life  and  higher  animal  life  to  want  most  what  is  most 
difficult  to  obtain;  in  fact,  we  may  say  it  is  a  principle 
in  Nature  and  human  nature. 

"The  Cat  does  not  care  for  the  dead  mouse,  nor 
the  Tiger  for  the  slain  deer;  they  must  have  something 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  277 

that  they  must  pursue  and  overcome;  that  is  difficult 
to  obtain. 

"The  half-grown  boy  would  rather  steal  fruit  and 
climb  dangerous  fences  in  the  night,  to  rob  a  neighbor's 
field  of  watermelons  than  to  walk  into  his  father's 
back  yard  and  pick  them. 

"The  father,  who  secludes  his  daughters,  finds  out, 
to  his  sorrow,  that  the  young  men  will  drop  more 
desirable  girls  and  take  the  greatest  trouble  and  pains 
to  elope  with  the  secluded  ones. 

"And  so  it  is  with  Liquor.  The  Prohibitionists,  in 
trying  to  prevent  the  drinking  of  liquor,  are  making 
it  more  difficult  to  obtain,  which  fact  whetens  the 
appetite  for  it  and  gives  the  acquisition  of  it  more 
relish;  in  other  words,  The  Prohibitionists  are  helping 
one  of  Nature's  laws,  like  the  man  who  assists  the  Law 
of  Gravitation  by  loosening  the  stone  at  the  top  of  the 
mountain  and  setting  it  in  motion,  to  see  it  go  bounding 
and  bounding,  with  greater  and  greater  speed,  until 
it  sweeps  everything  before  it  in  the  valley  below. 

"And,  per  contra,  the  reason  why  Colonel  Berry 
will  win  in  his  Challenge  is,  that  however  desirable 
a  thing  is  in  this  life,  if  you  make  it  very  easy  to 
obtain — in  other  words,  make  it  common — nobody 
wants  it. 

"For  instance,  gold  is  very  hard  to  get,  and  there 
fore  it  is  the  precious  metal.  But  if  anyone  could  pick 
up  gold,  like  stones,  on  the  hillside  or  in  the  road, 
nobody  would  want  it  in  a  little  while. 

"So  it  is  with  Liquor,  and  I  think  Colonel  Berry's 
Challenge  will  win.  The  Prohibitionists  claim  that  it 
is  the  presence  of  Liquor  in  a  community  that  makes 
so  many  drunkards  and  they  would  prohibit  the  manu 
facture  of  it  entirely.  Colonel  Berry  will  prove,  by 
running  a  superabundance  of  it  through  the  town,  that 
it  is  not  the  presence  of  Liquor  in  a  community  that 
makes  drunkards,  but  the  depravity  of  man  in  going 


278  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

to  excess  in  some  way  or  other,  which  cannot  be  con 
trolled  by  Legislation! 

"What  The  Prohibitionists  are  attempting  to  do  by 
means  of  Government  is  to  deprive  the  individual  of 
free  will.  The  question  is,  if  they  destroy  the  Sov 
ereignty  of  the  individual  will,  do  they  not  destroy  the 
Sovereignty  of  the  collective  will— The  Body  Politic?" 

Lucy  Hurryup's  sister,  Mrs.  Senator  Brentwood,  had 
come  to  visit  her.  Mrs.  Brentwood  was  an  entirely 
different  woman  from  Lucy,  being  of  medium  height. 
She  had  large  expressive  eyes  and  was  of  a  quiet, 
gentle  disposition;  was  middle-aged,  graceful,  lady-like 
and  attractive. 

Though  she  greatly  admired  her  big  sister  for  her 
ability,  Mrs.  Brentwood  did  not  approve  of  Lucy's 
extreme  views  in  many  things,  and  would  say  to  her: 

"Lucy,  Lucy!  do  not  be  so  extreme  in  everything!" 

"Well,  Rachel,  what  difference  does  it  make,  if  I 
am  extreme,  if  I  -am  right?"  would  answer  Lucy,  and 
so  they  would  converse. 

The  day  after  Mrs.  Brentwood  came  Lucy  ordered 
her  carriage  to  take  her  out  and  show  her  the  town. 
As  they  passed  the  beautiful  premises  of  Colonel  Berry 
and  Major  Ashcraft,  which  were  next  to  each  other, 
Luck  remarked: 

"That  one  is  the  residence  of  Distiller  Berry  and 
he  and  his  son  are  regular  Devils  from  Hell!" 

"Why,  Lucy!"  replied  her  sister,  "are  you  not 
ashamed  to  talk  that  way  about  people?" 

Lucy  answered: 

"No,  I  am  not,  for  their  whisky  has  sent  more  people 
there  than  you  can  count,  possibly!  That  next  place 
is  owned  by  a  nice  man,  Major  Ashcraft,  who  is  a 
good  Prohibitionist  and  contributes  liberally  to  our 
cause." 

They  drove  down  on  Main   Street  and  Lucy  said: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  279 

"I  will  show  you  the  enormous  Distillery  and 
Brewery  of  those  Devils — but  what  is  that  those  men 
are  putting  in  the  street?  Oh,  yes,  I  remember;  tomor 
row  is  the  first  of  the  month  and  the  Liquor  Demons 
are  to  run  the  town  their  way  for  a  month.  What 
those  men  are  doing  is  putting  up  a  trough  for  The 
Berrys  to  run  whisky  through." 

"What  are  they  doing  that  for?"  asked  Mrs.  Brent- 
wood.  "That  would  seem  very  expensive  and  odd." 

Lucy  laughed  and  replied: 

"Well,  the  old  fool  made  a  challenge  to  The  Pro 
hibitionists  that  there  would  be  less  drunkenness,  if 
he  would  run  the  Whisky  through  the  town  for  one 
month,  than  there  would  be  under  a  Prohibition  Gov 
ernment  for  one  month.  Ha!  Ha!  Ha!  What  an  old 
fool!  Does  he  not  know  that  all  the  bums  and  drunk 
ards  of  the  city  will  live  under  and  sleep  near  that 
trough,  if  the  police  will  let  them!  Such  nonsense!" 

"But,  Lucy,"  said  Mrs.  Brentwood,  "I  heard  a  lady 
say,  today,  that  there  had  been  more  drunkenness  under 
the  month's  Government  of  The  Prohibitionists  than 
ever  before." 

"Oh,  but  that  is  done  by  some  manipulation  or  trick 
ery  of  those  Berrys  and  the  Liquor  Crowd.  Wait  until 
they  get  through  with  that  trough  business,  and  see 
how  badly  they  will  show  up.  We  will  fix  them  yet!" 
answered  Lucy. 

At  the  same  time  that  Lucy  Hurryup  was  driving 
out  in  her  fine  carriage  and  showing  her  sister  the 
city,  a  man  with  a  bundle  in  his  hand  was  admitted 
by  a  clerk  to  Colonel  Berry's  private  office  in  his  great 
Distillery. 

"Take  a  seat,  Mr.  Pierce,"  said  The  Colonel.  "What 
report  have  you  for  me,  today?" 

"I  have  in  this  bundle,"  said  the  Detective,  lowering 
his  voice,  "an  electrotype,  produced  from  a  photograph 
I  made  the  other  night  of  the  drunken  woman.  All 
you  have  to  do,  Colonel,  when  you  get  ready,  is  to 


280  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

hand  that  to  a  newspaper  and  they  will  print  the  whole 
scene   from   the   electrotype,  just   as   it   occurred." 

The  Colonel  opened  the  package,  looked  at  the  elec 
trotype  and  the  picture  printed  from  it,  put  his  hand 
to  his  forehead  and  over  his  eyes  a  moment,  turned  to 
his  desk,  wrote  a  check  and  handed  it  to  the  Detective, 
who  seemed  very  much  pleased,  got  up,  thanked  and 
shook  hands  with  The  Colonel  and  was  soon  in  the 
street.  He  then  opened  the  check,  carefully,  again 
and  read: 

BERRY  NATIONAL  BANK. 

Batesville,  Sept.  30,  18—. 

Pay  to  the  order  of  Ned  Pierce 

One  Thousand Dollars. 

HENRY  BERRY. 

Since  the  article  came  out  in  The  Trumpet,  about 
the  disorders  in  District  No.  5,  of  the  city,  and  the 
removal  by  The  Mayor,  of  Jimmy  Maloney  as  police 
officer  of  that  District,  there  had  been  such  a  howl 
that  The  Mayor  had  to  send  for  Jimmy  and  put  him 
back. 

Joe  Ganzel  and  his  gang  were  pretty  quiet  on  the 
last  night  of  September,  for  Jimmy  had  been  seen  by 
some  of  them  on  his  accustomed  rounds. 

Joe  had  never  given  up,  in  his  mind,  that  he  would 
get  even  with  Jimmy  Maloney  yet.  He  claimed  to  his 
desperate  followers  that  in  his  long  fight  with  Jimmy, 
if  he  had  not  gotten  that  blow  on  the  nose  with  Jimmy's 
club,  he  would  have  killed  Jimmy,  and  no  doubt  he 
would.  And  though  Joe  yielded  obedience  to  Jimmy 
and  was  afraid  of  him  in  a  way,  it  was  a  sullen  obedi 
ence. 

That  night  the  gang  came  into  the  large  room,  where 
they  assembled,  by  ones  and  twos,  until  there  were 
twenty-one  of  them  sitting  in  chairs,  on  tables,  sitting 
on  the  floor  and  lying  on  the  floor.  Some  were  smoking 
pipes;  some  cigarettes,  and  some  the  leavings  of  cigars 
that  they  had  picked  up;  while  many  of  them  had 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  281 

bottles  of  Whisky  in  their  pockets,  slyly  slipped  them 
out  and  took  a  drink. 

This  large  room  was  in  the  interior  of  a  hill  at 
the  edge  of  the  town,  which  had  been  tunneled  and 
retunneled,  until  it  was  a  beehive  for  the  disreputable. 
There  were  large  and  small  rooms  and  halls  all  through 
it. 

The  authorities  had  often  wanted  to  destroy  this 
nest,  but  Jimmy  Maloney  said  not,  for,  if  he  wanted 
to  find  a  disreputable,  hardened  man  or  woman,  all 
he  had  to  do  was  to  look  through  Joe  Ganzel's  hill. 

Joe  sat  in  his  chair  half  asleep,  opened  his  eyes, 
suddenly,  and  saw  a  man  on  the  floor  slyly  take  a 
drink  from  a  bottle.  He  bawled  out:  "Say,  Slim  Sloat, 
I  thought  this  here  town  is  'dry,'  an'  I  saw  yer  take 
er  drink!" 

All  the  gang  immediately  took  an  attitude  of  atten 
tion  and  Slim  Sloat,  sitting  on  the  floor,  replied: 

"Ye — es,  but  this  here  aint  no  Whisky;  it's  only 
'Chinese  Molasses'!" 

"Haw!  Haw!  Haw!"  shouted  Joe,  and  all  the  gang 
threw  up  their  hats  and  yelled  with  laughter. 

Joe  continued: 

"Well,  Slim,  yer'll  git  all  ther  'Chinese  Molasses'  yer 
want,  fur  nuthin,  tomorrow,  fur  Gunnel  Berry's  goin' 
ter  run  ther  trough  uv  it  through  Main  Street  and  yer 
all  kin  go  an'  help  yerself." 

"That's  good!"  "Fine!"  "Good  boy!"  "Hurray!" 
"I'll  drink  er  jug!"  "Damn  it,  I'll  drink  er  whole  bar 
rel!"  came  from  all  over  the  room. 

"Who's  goin'  ter  pay  fur  all  that,  Joe?  Guess  it'll 
cost  Ther  Gunnel  some  money  an'  somebody's  got  ter 
pay  fur  it!"  asked  a  sour-faced,  villainous  gangster,  sit 
ting  on  the  floor  a  short  way  off,  as  he  spoke  with  a 
butt  of  a  cigar  in  his  teeth. 

Joe  sprang  to  his  feet,  shook  his  fist  at  the  man 
and  exclaimed: 


282  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"None  uv  yer  damn  business,  Slink!  Don't  yer  say 
nuthin  against  Gunnel  Berry!  Judge  Sims  wuz  goin' 
ter  send  me  ter  ther  Pen  and  Ther  Gunnel  asked  him 
ter  give  me  one  more  chance,  an  I'm  here  yit!" 

"All  right!"  said  Slink,  "I  didn't  know  that!  Three 
cheers  fur  Ther  Gunnel!"  and  all  the  gang  cheered  and 
whooped,  throwing  up  their  hats,  jumping  up  and  down, 
stamping  and  rolling  on  the  floor. 

During  the  confusion  a  large,  determined;  tough- 
looking  woman  came  into  the  room  through  one  of  the 
innumerable  low  entrances  at  the  side  of  the  room, 
made  her  way  to  Slim  Sloat,  sitting  on  the  floor,  caught 
him  by  the  hair  and  arm  and  dragged  him  out,  exclaim 
ing: 

"I  told  yer  'twas  dinner  time  before  'n  I  think  yer'll 

come  now!" 

********* 

As  Major  Ashcraft  entered  the  front  door  of  his 
residence,  and  the  servant  retired,  Henrietta  came  trip 
ping  toward  him  and  exclaimed  in  that  musical  voice, 
as  she  put  her  arms  around  his  neck: 

"What  makes  my  dear  Papa  look  so  serious  and 
tired,  tonight?" 

He  kissed  her,  took  her  hand,  parted  the  heavy  hall 
curtains  and  entered  the  parlor  with  her.  They  were 
alone  and  as  she  looked  at  him  with  those  beautiful, 
earnest  eyes,  he  said: 

"Dear.  I  do  not  know  what  makes  my  men  so  sullen. 
They  have  made  no  demands  on  me  in  any  way  and 
created  no  disturbance,  and  yet  they  are  sullen!" 

"Never  mind,  Papa  dear!"  said  she,  putting  her  arm 
in  his.  "Come  into  the  Sitting  Room  and  see  the  ladies 
and  forget  all  about  it.  Mrs.  Bowink  is  there  and  Miss 
Hurryup  has  brought  her  sister,  Mrs.  Senator  Brent- 
wood,  to  see  us." 

The  Major  brightened  up  as  soon  as  Mrs.  Bowink 
was  mentioned,  and,  as  soon  as  he  had  brushed  up 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  283 

a  little  in  his  bedroom,  he  came  to  the  Sitting  Room 
where  the  ladies  were. 

Before  he  retired  that  night,  Henrietta  asked  her 
father  what  he  thought  of  Mrs.  Brentwood. 

"She  appears  to  me  and  acts  like  an  elegant  lady, 
daughter,  and  I  like  her,"  answered  The  Major. 

On  the  first  day  that  Colonel  Berry's  trough  was 
in  operation  there  was  a  great  crowd  gathered  along 
it  from  the  enormous  Distillery,  at  the  top  of  Main 
Street,  to  the  end  of  the  City,  where  the  trough  ended 
and  its  flowing  contents  emptied  into  barrels.  Colonel 
Berry  had  had  a  pipe  extended  from  his  Distillery  out 
over  the  street,  from  which  ran  a  stream  of  Liquor, 
day  and  night,  into  a  trough,  which  ran  the  whole 
length  of  the  city. 

At  three  places  on  a  block  there  were  receptacles, 
or  deep  places,  made  in  the  trough  and  cups  were  hung 
there  on  the  trough,  so  that  anyone  who  wanted  to 
drink  might  dip  into  the  receptacle  and  take  what  he 
would  want. 

A  great  many  policemen  had  been  placed  at  these 
receptacles  to  keep  order  and  mounted  officers  and  offi 
cers  on  foot  went  up  and  down  the  trough  to  assist 
any  drunken  people  that  there  might  be. 

Hundreds  drank  all  along  the  line,  to  be  succeeded 
by  others  who  pushed  their  way  through  the  crowd. 
Some  drank  until  they  could  not  drink  any  more  and 
fell  over  in  a  stupor;  some  drank,  staggered  a  little 
ways  and  fell  down,  and  some  drank,  went  a  long  ways 
and  lay  down;  and  some  took  a  drink  and  went  away,  i 
not  to  be  seen  again. 

Lucy  Hurryup,  in  her  carriage,  rode  along  the  line 
with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Brentwood,  and  it  seemed  as  if 
she  saw  somebody  drunk  at  every  step;  for  it  took  a 
large  force  of  policemen  to  arrest  them  and  take  them 
off.  She  fairly  clapped  her  hands  and,  turning  to  her 
sister,  exclaimed: 


284  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"I  told  you  so!  I  told  you  so!  We  will  beat  them 
yet!  I  knew  we  would!" 

Joe  Ganzel's  gang  was  there  all  along  the  line,  in 
full  evidence.  The  gangster  who  said  he  would  drink 
a  jug  of  whisky  came  pretty  near  it,  and  the  one  who 
said  he  would  drink  a  barrel  came  as  near  to  it  as 
he  could,  for  he  was  dead  drunk  and  had  to  be  carried 
away. 

Tommy  Dust,  who  had  made  a  tour  of  examination, 
himself,  that  day,  made  a  report  to  Snickuls  at  The 
Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club  and  said: 

"Snickuls,  they  drank  the  biggest  lot  of  Whisky  you 
ever  saw!" 

Snickuls  was  pretty  full,  himself,  that  night,  and 
replied: 

"Tom — my — hie — a  man's — a — hie — fool  to — try  to — 

hie — drink  a  whole — Dis — hie — tillery — at  one  time!" 

********* 

Judge  Sims  was  a  keen  observer  of  what  was  going 
on  in  the  town  and,  as  he  came  down  Main  Street  the 
next  day,  he  met  Chief  of  Police  Murray,  who  saluted 
him. 

"Chief,"  said  The  Judge,  "how  is  the  drinking  com 
ing  on?  You  must  have  had  a  lively  time,  yesterday." 

"Yes,  Judge,  it  was  dreadful,  yesterday;  but  there 
are  not  near  so  many  today!"  answered  The  Chief. 
The  Judge  laughed  and  walked  along,  grinning  all  the 

way  to  The  Court  House. 

********* 

One  week  of  trial  of  the  running  Colonel  Berry's 
trough  through  the  town  was  gone.  The  Trumpet  came 
out  in  the  following  article: 

ONE  WEEK  OF  THE  WHISKY  TROUGH 
TRIAL  GONE. 

"Great  hopes  were  raised  in  the  minds  and  hearts 
of  The  Prohibitionists,  at  the  sight  of  the  numerous 
Whisky  drinkers  and  drunken  people  on  the  first  day 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  285 

of  this  month,  occasioned  by  Colonel  Berry's  Whisky 
Trough  being  run  through  Main  Street. 

"The  Prohibitionists  rejoiced  greatly,  because  they 
thought  the  evidence  on  the  first  of  the  month  was 
sufficient  to  prove  that  Colonel  Berry's  Challenge  would 
do  him  no  good,  for  there  would  be  more  drunken 
people  during  the  month  of  his  trough  trial  than  there 
was  during  the  month  of  extreme  Prohibition. 

"The  Prohibitionists  are  now  not  so  sure  of  their 
victory  and  some  of  them  regret  that  they  rejoiced  so 
soon,  for  there  are  not  one-quarter  of  the  people  around 
the  Whisky  Trough  now  that  there  were  a  week  ago, 
and  the  proportion  of  drunken  people  is  a  great  deal 
less  than  a  quarter. 

"Miss  Lucy  Hurryup,  President  of  The  W.  C.  T.  U., 
expressed  doubt  to  The  Chief  of  Police,  in  presence  of 
our  reporter,  as  to  his  assertion  that  there  are  not 
one-quarter  as  many  drunks,  now,  as  on  the  first  day 
of  the  trough  trial.  The  Chief  answered  her  and  said: 

"'Miss  Hurryup,  it  is  a  matter  of  Public  Record, 
and  we  have  the  names  of  the  parties  arrested,  at  The 
Court  House.  I  have  gone  over  them  and  know  what 
I  am  talking  about.  If  you  doubt  my  word,  go  there 
and  see  for  yourself!'" 

"It  has  already  been  proven,  from  The  Prohibition 
Policy  of  Mayor  Homer,  during  the  last  month,  that  if 
that  month  is  compared  with  any  previous  month  in 
the  history  of  our  City,  when  the  Saloons  were  open, 
it  will  show  that  there  was  twice  as  much  drunkenness 
in  The  Prohibition  Month  as  in  any  month  in  the  his 
tory  of  the  City,  when  the  Saloons  were  open. 

"That  proves  logically  and  conclusively  that  a  City 
Administration  under  Prohibition,  as  compared  with 
a  City  Administration,  which  permits  open  Saloons,  is 
a  failure.  In  other  words  there  is  less  drunkenness 
when  there  are  open  Saloons. 

"Having  proven  that  to  be  so,  Colonel  Berry  proposes 
to  prove  that,  drunkenness  cannot  be  laid  to  The  Dis- 


286  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

tiller  or  Manufacturer  of  Liquor,  for  he  is  running  a 
constant  stream  of  Liquor  from  his  Distillery  thru  the 
town,  free  to  all;  and  he  says  he  will  show,  thereby, 
that  there  will  be  less  drunkenness  than  there  was  dur 
ing  the  same  time  that  Prohibition  was  enforced  in 
the  City. 

"Colonel  Berry  also  says  that  it  is  not  the  presence 
of  Liquor  in  a  community  that  makes  drunkenness,  but 
it  is  a  perverse  desire  of  a  certain  proportion  of  every 
community  to  go  to  unreasonable  extremes  in  some 
thing.  Should  this  desire  be  bent  on  consuming  Liquor, 
if  all  the  Distilleries  in  the  world  were  out  of  existence, 
these  people  would  make  it  and  get  it  for  themselves 
and  friends! 

"They  would  make  Liquor  in  their  kitchens;  they 
would  make  it  in  their  cellars;  in  their  back  yards; 
in  caves  and  in  the  mountains;  in  fact,  they  would 
make  it  anywhere,  and  all  The  Judges,  Legislatures, 
Armies  and  Navies  of  the  world  cannot  prevent  it,  be 
cause,  when  attempted,  the  very  lawmaker,  law  exec 
utives  and  law-interpretors  are  the  very  lawbreakers. 
It  has  always  been  so  and  always  will  be  so.  How 
many  thousand  years  does  the  average  Prohibitionist 

require   to  have   anything  proven   to  him?" 

*          *          *******          *          * 

Mayor  Homer  was  gloomy  and  his  head  drooped 
as  he  walked  home  in  the  night.  He  had  just  passed 
Main  Street  and  looked  up  and  down  the  Berry  trough, 
as  far  as  he  could  see. 

It  was  the  Third  week  of  the  Trough  Trial  and  as 
far  as  he  could  see  there  were  only  three  people  at 
the  trough,  drinking,  and  they  walked  quietly  away. 

The  police,  standing  all  along  the  trough,  saluted 
The  Mayor  as  he  passed  and  he  asked  one  of  them  in 
a  low  voice: 

"Phil,  how  is  the  drinking  today?" 

"Very  little,  Your  Honor;  it  gets  less  and  less  every 
day.  Most  everybody  now  claims  the  smell  makes 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  287 

them  sick  and  they  wish  The  Mayor  would  take  the 
trough  away,"  answered  the  officer. 

As  Mayor  Homer  walked  away,  he  muttered  to  him 
self: 

"I  am   afraid   that  'Colonel   Berry's   Challenge'   has 

won  and  Tom  Fray  will  take  my  place  next  month!" 

*          *          *******          *          * 

The  Berry  Zouaves  Armory  was  a  very  large  build 
ing,  had  a  large  folding  door  entrance  and  broad  stone 
steps  that  led  up  to  the  door.  Inside  the  door  was  a 
long  hall  that  extended  across  the  front  part  of  the 
building,  back  of  which,  reached  by  passing  thru  a 
number  of  doors,  was  the  Main  Drill  Hall.  All  around 
the  sides  of  this  hall  were  cases  containing  racks,  in 
which  the  muskets  were  put  when  they  were  not  in 
use,  and  passing  thru  several  doors  were  small  rooms, 
devoted  to  the  use  of  officers,  and  for  the  convenience 
of  the  men. 

The  building  was  in  the  charge  of  two  men  by  the 
names  of  Janup  and  Drury.  The  former  kept  watch 
during  the  day  and  the  other  at  night.  They  were 
both  strong  middle-aged  men,  attached  to  Colonel  Berry 
and  the  interests  of  The  Berry  Zouaves. 

As  Janup  was  cleaning  the  floor  of  the  large  Drill 
Hall  one  morning,  a  stranger  entered,  looked  around 
and  began  to  talk  to  him.  He  complimented  the  build 
ing  and  said  he  was  just  looking  at  the  City.  He  asked 
what  were  those  cases  for  on  the  side  and  how  could 
the  soldiers  get  into  them,  and  got  Janup  to  show  him 
some  of  the  guns  and  how  the  cases  were  opened  and 
closed. 

He  then  remarked  very  innocently: 

"Where  do  they  get  their  ammunition?"  "Down 
stairs  in  the  Ammunition  Room,"  said  Janup. 

"Could  I  see  how  you  keep  it?"  aksed  the  man. 

"Oh,  no;  we  never  let  anybody  go  down  there! 
I  keep  the  key  in  my  pocket  and  Drury  has  his;  so 
nobody  can  get  in  there  but  us;  unless  he  has  an  order 


288  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

from  Colonel  or  Captain  Berry.  After  talking  a  few 
minutes  and  asking  some  other  questions,  the  man 
left  and  went  along  the  street,  slowly,  looking  at  every 
thing  like  a  stranger,  but  when  he  got  several  blocks 
away  from  The  Armory,  he  started  off  at  a  brisk  pace 
and  soon  came  to  the  house  and  door  of  The  President 
of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.,  where  he  entered. 

•  *  ****«»  w  •  w 

Chief  of  Police  Murray  stood  on  Main  Street  giving 
some  directions  to  an  officer,  when  he  looked  up  and 
saw  Tom  Fray  coming  toward  him,  who  extended  his 
hand  and  said: 

"Well,  Chief,  how  is  everything?" 

The  Chief  shook  his  hand  heartily,  and  exclaimed: 

"All  right!  and  I  guess  you  will  be  Mayor,  tomor 
row,  Tom!  Everybody  is  damning  that  trough  and  is 
saying  it  makes  the  whole  town  smell!  I  have  not  seen 
anybody  near  there  for  a  week,  except  two  or  three 
strangers,  passing  thru  the  town." 

The  next  morning,  "Colonel  Berry's  Challenge"  hav 
ing  been  carried  out,  according  to  agreement  between 
The  Prohibitionists  and  Liquor  Party,  the  leaders  of 
both  sides  met  in  Judge  Elmira  Sims  Courtroom,  with 
The  Judge  sitting  on  the  bench. 

The  Judge  rapped  for  order  and  there  was  stillness 
in  the  assemblage,  which  was  very  large,  and  the 
people  had  come  to  hear  about  which  party  would  win. 
At  one  end  of  the  large  table,  just  below  The  Judge's 
bench,  sat  Colonel  Berry,  Alvin  Berry  and  President  of 
Aldermen,  representing  The  Liquor  Party,  and  at  the 
other  end  sat  Major  Ashcraft,  Rev.  Peter  Noster  and 
Mayor  Homer,  representing  The  Prohibitionists. 

When  all  was  quiet  Judge  Elmira  Sims,  holding  a 
paper  in  his  hand,  arose  and  exclaimed: 

"Gentlemen,  according  to  this  report,  obtained  from 
The  Court  Records,  and  according  to  the  agreement 
made  between  The  Prohibition  Party,  whose  represen 
tatives  are  below  me,  and  The  Liquor  Party,  whose 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  289 

representatives  are  also  below,  I  hereby  declare  that 
'Colonel  Berry's  Challenge'  has  won  by  a  large  ma 
jority." 

"Mr.  Tom  Fray,  candidate  for  Mayor  of  Successful 
Party  and  other  candidates  will  therefore  step  for 
ward  and  take  the  oath  of  office!" 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

Lucy  Hurryup  would  not  go  to  The  Courthouse  to 
hear  that  "Colonel  Berry's  Challenge"  had  won  and 
that  The  Prohibitionists  had  been  overwhelmingly  de 
feated. 

During  a  visit  she  made  with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Senator 
Brentwood,  to  see  Miss  Askwitch,  she  exclaimed:  "The 
Liquor  Party  won  by  trickery  and  fraud,  for  they 
could  not  have  won  in  any  other  way!  Those  Berrys 
will  do  anything;  buy  up  policemen,  lawyers,  Court 
officials,  politicians  and  Judges.  They  think  they  have 
got  us  beat;  but  just  wait  awhile  and  we  will  show 
them!" 

"Why,  Lucy,"  said  Mrs.  Brentwood,  "I  have  heard 
some  very  good  accounts  of  those  Berrys,  since  I  have 
been  here." 

"Only  from  Liquor  sources!"  retorted  Lucy. 

"No,  not  from  Liquor  sources!"  replied  Mrs.  Brent 
wood. 

There  was  a  knock  at  Colonel  Berry's  private  office 
door  and  he  admitted  a  clerk,  accompanied  by  a  mes 
senger  boy,  who  bore  a  note.  The  clerk  retired  and 
the  messenger  waited,  standing,  for  an  answer  to  the 
note,  which  read: 

The  Trumpet 
"Dear  Colonel: 

"If  you  will  send  that  electrotype  of  the  drunken 
woman,  I  have  a  fine  place  to  put  it,  which  will  make 
things  very  lively. 

"Yours  respectfully, 

"J.  BLACK,  Editor." 


290  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

The  boy  wondered  what  made  Colonel  Berry  keep 
him  so  long,  for  he  seemed  to  read  the  note  over  and 
over  a  dozen  times,  stared  at  it  and  it,  at  last,  fell  from 
his  hand  to  the  floor. 

The  Colonel  turned  to  the  boy  and  said: 

"Tell  Mr.  Black  that  I  will  see  him  in  person!"  and 
the  boy  went  away. 

Why  did  Colonel  Berry  sit  rigid  so  long  in  his 
chair,  when  he  kept  the  boy  waiting,  and  why  did  he 
not  give  him  the  electrotype?  It  was  because  he  fell 
into  a  revery  and  saw  a  vision  of  the  past. 

Some  years  before  he  was  in  his  office  and  a  tall 
young  woman  entered.  She  closed  the  door,  as  he 
arose  to  meet  her,  and  with  drooping  head  she  came 
up  in  front  of  him  and  tremblingly  said: 

"Colonel,  how  can  I  ever  thank  you  for  all  you  have 
done  for  me!" 

She  suddenly  took  his  hand  and  kissed  it  and  before 
he  knew  it,  had  her  arms  around  his  neck,  clinging  to 
him  and  saying: 

"Oh,  Colonel,  I  love  you!" 

*  *          *******          *          * 

Tom  Fray  took  his  seat  as  Mayor  in  place  of  William 
Homer,  who  retired  a  very  crestfallen  man,  and  every 
thing,  politically,  assumed  its  old  normal  condition,  all 
the  saloons  being  open  as  formerly.  The  Liquor  men 
were  happy,  of  course,  but  they  did  not  make  them 
selves  obnoxious  or  disagreeable  to  The  Prohibitionists. 
Colonel  Berry  sent  word  to  the  bartenders  of  all  his 
saloons,  saying: 

"Do  not  encourage,  in  any  of  my  saloons,  expres 
sions  that  will  offend  The  Prohibitionists.  Never  crow 

over  an  enemy  that  is  down!"  which  was  strictly  obeyed. 

*  *          *******          *          * 

"My  Dear  Wife,"  said  Colonel  Berry,  as  he  finished 
his  lunch,  at  home  in  his  dining  room,  "Alvin  and  I 
may  be  late,  to-night,  before  we  get  home.  He  will 
have  some  important  work  on  our  books,  at  The  Brew- 


291 

ery  Office,  and  I  will  have -the  same  at  The  Distillery 
to  attend  to,"  and  so  saying  he  and  Alvin  drove  down 
town  together.  Alvin  got  out  at  The  Brewery  and  his 
father  drove  on  to  The  Distillery  Office. 

At  the  great  Ashcraft  Shoe  Manufactories,  when  the 
time  came  for  stopping  work  that  day,  a  keen  observer 
would  have  noticed  that  the  men,  as  they  came  out  of 
the  factories,  did  not  go  home  in  droves  as  usual,  but 
seemed  to  scatter  in  groups  of  two  or  three  and  disap 
pear  very  quickly. 
*  *  *******  *  * 

"Does  Mr.  Drury  live  here?"  asked  a  man  dressed 
in  overalls,  of  a  woman  that  .came  to  the  door  of  a 
small  house,  not  far  from  The  Armory. 

"Yes,"  said  the  woman,  "I  am  his  wife!  What  do 
you  want  with  him?  He  works  at  night,  over  at  The 
Armory  and  is  now  getting  his  sleep;  because  he  will 
have  to  go  to  work  at  six  o'clock." 

"Well,"  continued  the  man,  "I've  got  a  fine  horse  for 
sale,  cheap,  down  at  the  stable,  four  blocks  from  here, 
I  heard  he  wants  to  buy  a  good  horse,  and  I've  got  the 
article  to  sell.  Can  I  see  him?" 

The  woman  replied:  ; 

"I  know  he  wants  a  good  horse  very  much,  but  I 
hate  to  wake  him.  He  will  be  up  by  four  o'clock!  Can 
you  come  then?" 

"Tell  him  to  be  here,  sure,  at  four  o'clock  and  I 
will  be  back  at  that  time,"  exclaimed  the  man,  and  off 
he  went;  but  he  returned  promptly  at  that  time. 

Drury  came  out  and  went  with  him  down  the  street 
to  the  stable,  which  they  entered,  the  man  leading, 
who  winked  at  some  other  men,  standing  just  inside 
the  stable  door. 

"Come  back  here  with  me  and  I'll  show  him  to 
you!"  exclaimed  the  man,  and  Drury  followed. 

In  a  moment  Drury  was  seized  from  behind,  thrown 
to  the  ground,  gagged  and  bound,  while  five  men  stood 
over  him. 


292  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Take  him  back  there  and  pitch  him  in  the  hay!" 
said  the  leader,  "and  be  sure  he  does  not  escape!" 
;  It  was  half-past  four  o'clock  and  Janup  was  tired 
of  working  around  The  Armory  and  he  sat  down  a  few 
moments  to  rest.  As  he  sat  there  two  well-dressed 
men  entered  and  asked  him  if  he  could  tell  them  any 
thing  about  the  history  of  the  City.  They  sat  down 
with  him  and  asked  many  questions,  and  one  said: 

"Have  a  cigar,"  which  Janup  accepted  and  smoked 
with  them. 

Presently  Janup's  head  began  to  feel  bad  and  heavy 
and  he  could  not  hold  it  up,  and  though  he  attempted 
to  rise,  he  could  not,  and  tumbled  over  on  the  floor 
apparently  lifeless. 

"We've  got  him,  now!"  said  one  of  the  men,  as  he 
knelt  down  and  went  through  Janup's  pockets,  pulling 
out  a  large  bunch  of  keys.  "Tie  him  and  pull  him 
into  one  of  these  rooms!" 

The  other  man  took  a  rope  out  of  his  pocket,  tied 
Janup's  hands  tightly  behind  his  back;  then  tied  his 
feet  firmly  together;  then  he  made  a  gag  with  a  large 
handkerchief  and  put  it  into  his  mouth  and  tied  it 
around  his  head. 

The  two  men  dragged  Janup  into  one  of  the  small 
rooms  and  locked  the  door  on  the  outside,  withdrawing 
the  key.  They  then  went  to  the  large  front  door  and 
tried  the  keys  of  the  bunch,  obtained  from  Janup,  in 
the  lock,  a  large  one  of  which  fitted  and  turned  the 
bolt. 

Pulling  the  door  after  them  they  locked  it  and 
quickly  descended  the  stone  steps  and  hastened  away, 
each  taking  a  different  direction.  There  was  nothing 
special  going  on  at  The  Armory  that  night;  but  most 
#ny  time  the  different  members  of  The  Berry  Zouaves 
might  call  into  the  building  for  a  number  of  purposes; 
and  so  it  was  at  six  o'clock,  when  three  young  men 
mounted  the  stone  steps  and  found  The  Armory  locked. 
One  of  the  young  men  exclaimed: 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  293 

"What  can  that  mean?  I  never  knew  The  Armory 
to  be  closed  before!" 

"Oh,  maybe  The  Janitor  has  gone  off  for  a  few 
minutes!"  said  another.  "We  will  come  back  in  an 

hour!"  and  they  went  away. 

*          *          *******          *          • 

"Papa,  let  me  go  down-town  and  help  you,  tonight 
You  know  you  have  no  son  and  I  will  have  to  help 
you  in  place  of  one,"  said  Henrietta  Ashcraft  to  her 
father,  putting  her  lovely  head  on  his  shoulder,  as  he 
sat  at  the  supper  table,  at  which  also  sat  Miss  Askwitch 
and  Mrs.  Bowink. 

"No,  Darling;  you  stay  here  with  Mrs.  Bowink  and 
Miss  Askwitch;  they  need  your  company,"  answered 
The  Major. 

"Oh,  let  me  go  along,  too!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Bowink. 

"Do  you  both  want  to  go?"  asked  The  Major.  Both 
the  ladies  renewed  their  request,  to  which  he  answered: 

"If  Mayor  Fray  had  not  sent  me  four  mounted 
Detectives,  who  are  now  on  the  outside  waiting  for 
me,  and  six  policemen  to  guard  my  office,  I  would  not 
let  you  go;  but,  if  you  insist,  I  guess  we  will  try  it." 

The  ladies  put  on  their  wraps  and  in  a  few  minutes 
were  in  The  Major's  comfortable  carriage;  with  two 
men  on  the  driver's  seat  and  one  behind,  as  they  rolled; 
away. 

"It  seems  to  me  I  never  saw  so  many  women  out 
in  my  life!"  said  Henrietta,  "and  they  all  seem  to  be 
going  in  the  same  direction.  What  does  it  mean,  Papa?" 

"I  do  not  know,  Darling;  maybe  it  is  some  of  their 
society  meetings,"  answered  The  Major. 

"But  their  societies  do  not  meet  anywhere,  along 
these  dark  side  streets,"  said  Henrietta. 

"It  is  strange,"  remarked  Mrs.  Bowink. 

*          *          *         *         *.*         *         *         *          *          * 

Within  five  blocks  of  The  Distillery  and  Brewery 
of  Berry  &  Son  there  were  three  policemen  walking 
on  their  beats  that  night.  As  each  one  passed  some- 


294  COLONEL  DERBY'S  CHALLENGE 

dark,  lonely  spot  some  m'an  came  up  and  addressed 
him  and,  while  the  officer  was  talking,  several  powerful 
men  sprang  upon  him,  bore  him  to  the  ground,  gagged 
and  bound  him. 

Alvin  Berry  sat  in  his  office  at  The  Brewery  very 
intently  writing.  Every  one  of  the  clerks  was  gone; 
but  there  were  always  some  men  in  various  parts  of 
the  great  building,  who  acted  as  firemen,  engineers  and 
watchmen. 

Wishing  to  get  a  letter  from  another  part  of  the 
office,  Alvin  arose,  got  the  letter  and  was  about  to  return 
to  his  desk,  when  he  looked  out  the  window  at  the 
beautiful  full  moon  rising.  'Just  as  he  started  to  move 
away  from  the  window,  he  saw  the  figure  of  a  man 
in  the  shadow  of  the  wall,  outside,  creeping  along 
toward  the  window.  Alvin  hid  behind  the  curtain  and 
watched  him. 

In  a  few  moments  the  man  raised  up,  came  to  the1 
window  and  looked  in,  and  the  light  of  the  moon  struck 
him  full  in  the  face,  revealing  what  Alvin  thought  was 
one  of  the  most  villainous  countenances  he  had  ever 
seen.  : 

In  another  moment  the  face  and  form  were  gone. 
Alvin  stepped  to  a  chest  of  drawers  near  his  desk, 
pulled  one  of  them  out  and  took  from  it  a  brace  of  six- 
shooters,  put  on  a  belt  and  stuck  the  revolvers  into  it. 
He  then  filled  his  pockets  full  of  cartridges,  stepped 
to  the  inside  passage  of  The  Brewery  and  called  The 
Janitor,  who  came  quickly,  and  Alvin  said  to  him: 

"Go  tell  the  head  night  watchman  that  I  looked  out 
my  office  window,  just  now,  and  saw  a  villainous- 
looking  fellow  prowling  around. 

"All  right!  Captain,"  exclaimed  The  Janitor,  who 
went  outdoors  to  find  the  watchman;  but  he  had  not 
gone  far  before  he  was  thrown  to  the  ground,  bound 
and  gagged. 

Alvin  went  on  writing  and  we  will  leave  him  there 
for  the  present. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  295 

Lucy  Hurryup  and  her  sister  had  an  early  supper 
that  night  and,  after  they  had  finished,  Lucy  said: 

"Come,  Rachel,  put  on  your  wraps  and  we  will  go 
and  have  a  ride.  It  is  such  a  beautiful  moonlight 
night,  I  think  it  will  be  charming!" 

"Why,  no,  Lucy!  I  do  not  think  it  is  safe  for  ladies 
to  go  out  riding  at  night,"  answered  Mrs.  Brentwood. 

"Oh,  yes;  it  is  quite  safe,  for  I  have  three  men — 
two  coachman  and  a  footman — who  are  heavily  armed, 
and  I  have  a  revolver  in  my  pocket  myself,"  replied 
Lucy. 

Mrs.  Brentwood  continued: 

"I  do  not  like  to  go  out  at  night;  but,  if  you  think 
it  is  safe,  I  will  go  with  you." 

Lucy's  carriage  drove  up  to  the  door  and  she  and 
Mrs.  Brentwood  came  out  to  the  sidewalk  to  get  in. 
Her  sister  got  in,  but  Lucy  took  one  of  the  coachmen 
aside  and  put  three  five  dollar  bills  into  his  hand,  in 
a  low  voice  saying: 

"One  of  these  for  each  of  you!" 

********** 

Joe  Ganzel  was  tired  and  he  was  lying  down  on  a 
table  full  length,  with  his  right  arm  over  his  face  and 
eyes.  There  was  nobody  in  the  room  except  himself. 
He  heard  someone  enter  the  room  and  footsteps 
approach  quickly.  Looking  up  he  said: 

"What's  ther  matter,  Slim  Sloat?" 

Sloat  stooped  over  and  whispered  in  his  ear  and 
Joe  precipitately  sat  up  on  the  side  of  the  table,  exclaim 
ing: 

"Ther   Hell   yer  say!     At   what  time?" 

Sloat  answered: 

"Eight  o'clock!" 

Joe  gave  him  a  terrible  grip  of  the  arm  and  with 
fierce  eyes  commanded  him: 

"Be  damn  quick!  Bring  all  ther  gang  here,  yer  kin 
find!"  and  Sloat  disappeared  through  one  of  the  small 
entrances  of  the  room. 


296  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

In  a  very  short  time  excited  men  came  into  the 
room,  one  at  a  time  and  in  small  groups,  going  up  to 
Joe  and  receiving  their  orders,  until  the  room  was  full. 
Each  one  bore  a  club  or  some  other  kind  of  offensive 
weapon,  which  he  concealed  about  him  the  best  he 
could. 

Joe,  standing  up  straight  at  the  side  of  the  table, 
raised  his  arm  and  clinched  fist  and  exclaimed  to  them 
all:  "Now,  dam  yer,  go  where  I  tell  yer  and  do  jest 
what  I  tell  yer,  and  when  I  give  ther  yell,  f oiler  me!" 

When  his  last  word  had  fallen  the  gangsters  scat 
tered  in  a  twinkle  and  were  soon  out  in  the  darkness, 
leaving  Joe  alone.  He  pulled  the  table  a  little  distance 
aside,  lifted  up  a  plank  and  took  out  of  a  hole  a  couple 
of  brass  knuckles,  a  long  knife  and  a  revolver,  all  of 
which  he  disposed  about  his  person;  then  he  put  out 
the  lamp  on  a  box  and  slipped  out  of  the  room. 

Lucy  Hurryup's  coachman  drove  into  a  very  dark 
street,  for  there  were  nothing  but  warehouses  with 
very  high  brick  walls  on  both  sides  of  the  street,  which 
obscured  the  moonlight  and  threw  deep  shadows  all 
around. 

Mrs.  Brentwood  turned  to  her  sister  and  said: 

"Lucy,  where  are  you  going?  This  is  such  a  dark, 
disagreeable  street!" 

"Wait!"  said  Lucy  in  a  commanding  tone,  looking 
ahead  as  if  expecting  something,  and  Mrs.  Brentwood, 
though  she  felt  ill  at  ease,  thought  that  Lucy  would 
have  her  own  way,  anyhow,  and  she  settled  herself 
back  in  her  seat. 

In  a  few  moments  more  the  carriage  stopped,  and 
one  of  the  coachmen  put  his  hand  to  his  mouth  and 
gave  a  low  whistle.  Suddenly  a  gate  opened  in  the 
side  of  the  wall,  a  man  came  out  and  stepped  up  to 
the  side  of  the  carriage,  saying  in  a  low  voice:  "Is 
that  you,  Miss  Hurryup?" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  297 

"Yes,  Mr.  Vanskil"  exclaimed  Lucy,  bending  forward 
and  shaking  hands.  "Is  everything  ready?" 

"Everything!  We  have  four  hundred  men  here  and 
thirty  women.  How  are  they  at  your  end?"  said 
Vanski. 

"We  have  three  hundred  and  fifty  men  and  forty 
women,  and  we  had  better  start,  had  we  not?"  replied 
Lucy. 

"Yes;  you  go  right  back  and  start  them  from  your 
end  and  I  will  give  the  order  here,  immediately,"  said 
Vanski,  and  he  withdrew  and  entered  the  gate. 

Lucy  Hurryup's  coachman  turned  the  carriage 
around  and  drove  back  the  way  they  came.  Her  sister 
whispered  in  her  ear: 

"Lucy,  what  are  you  up  to?  I  am  sure  that  some 
thing  is  going  on  wrong!  Please  take  me  home!" 

Lucy  grasped  her  arm  and  exclaimed: 

"No!    Keep  still  and  see  the  Glory  of  The  Lord!" 

Willie  Way  was  a  bad  little  boy,  for  his  mother  told 
him  to  be  home  at  six  o'clock.  It  was  now  eight  and 
he  was  still  running  the  street.  But  he  was  making 
his  way  home — for  there  was  The  Armory,  and  it  was 
not  far  from  where  his  mother  lived. 

Willie  had  often  been  into  The  Armory  and  talked 
to  the  two  kind-hearted  Janitors  and  knew  them  well. 
There  was  quite  a  number  of  men  now  standing  before 
The  Armory,  each  showing  a  desire  to  get  in,  and  Willie 
stood  there  a  moment,  child-like,  and  heard  them  talk. 
As  the  men  were  talking,  Lieutenant  Hopkins  came  up 
and  said: 

"What's  the  matter,  boys?    Why  are  you  not  inside?" 

One  of  the  men  answered: 

"I  have  been  here  several  times  in  the  last  hour 
and  can't  get  in.  Where's  The  Janitor,  I  wonder?" 

"Well,  that  is  strange!"  replied  The  Lieutenant.  "I 
never  knew  of  such  a  thing  to  happen  before!  Some 
thing  must  be  wrong!  Ed,  you  go  over  to  Janup's  house, 


298  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

see  where  he  is  and  get  the  key,  and  you,  Bill,  go  down 
to  Drury's  house  and  do  the  same!" 

The  two  men  started  off  in  different  directions  and, 
just  as  they  were  gone,  another  man  came  running  up, 
followed  by  several  others,  and  exclaimed: 

"Say,  Lieutenant,  there's  the  biggest  lot  of  men  you 
ever  saw,  and  some  women,  collecting  over  there  near 
Colonel  Berry's  Distillery!  Do  you  know  what  it 
means?" 

"Something  wrong!  Something  wrong!"  said  The 
Lieutenant.  "We  must  get  these  doors  open!" 

Willie  heard  all  of  this,  but  he  saw  a  switch,  in  his 
mother's  hands,  awaiting  him  also;  so  he  hurried  on. 
"Kitty!  Kitty!  what  a  beautiful  Kitty!"  said  Willie,  as 
a  truly  beautiful  cat  ran  along  the  sidewalk  in  front 
of  Willie. 

The  more  he  tried  to  catch  the  cat,  the  more  elusive 
it  was,  until  it  ran  around  on  the  side  of  a  stable  and 
climbed  a  fence.  Willie  was  a  daring  little  brat  and 
climbed  after  it;  but  it  jumped  into  a  small  open  win 
dow,  just  big  enough  for  a  cat  to  get  into,  above  the 
fence,  and  disappeared. 

Standing  up  on  the  fence,  Willie  could  just  reach 
the  window;  so  taking  a  firm  hold  on  the  sill,  he  lifted 
himself  up  and  looked  in;  and  what  did  he  see?  There 
lay  a  man,  below  the  window,  on  some  straw,  with  a 
cloth  around  his  head  and  mouth  and  his  hands  and 
feet  were  both  tied  with  a  rope.  The  man  moved 
and  Willie  said  to  himself: 

"Why,  that's  Mr.  Drury!  I  know  him!"  and  Willie 
let  hims  If  down  and  jumped  to  the  ground.  He  went 
on  to  reason  thus: 

"I  wonder  what  he's  doing  there!  I'll  go  and  tell 
those  men  at  The  Armory  where  he  is!"  and  Willie 
ran  back  to  The  Armory. 

The  two  messengers,  who  had  been  sent  after  The 
Janitors,  had  just  returned  and  reported  to  The  Lieu 
tenant  that  the  wives  of  The  Janitors  had  not  seen 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  299 

them  for  several  hours  and  did  not  know  where  they 
were.  By  this  time  there  were  about  fifty  Zouaves 
collected  in  front  of  The  Armory,  listening  to  the  mes 
sengers,  when  Willie  came  up  and  heard  what  they  said. 

"I  know  where  Mr.  i)rury  is!  He's  tied  with  a 
towel  in  his  mouth  and  his  hands  and  feet  tied,  too, 
down  in  a  stable.  I  saw  him  through  a  window,  just 
nowl"  said  Willie  to  the  men. 

"Where?     Where?"  exclaimed  a  dozen  voices. 

"Gome  with  me  and  I'll  show  you!"  said  Willie. 

"Men,"  said  The  Lieutenant,  "there  is  some  foul 
play  in  this  matter  and  we  have  got  to  get  into  this 
Armory  right  away!  Come  with  me,  about  twenty  of 
you,  and  the  balance  guard  The  Armory.  We  must 
have  enough  along  to  meet  emergencies  1" 

About  twenty  men  followed  him  and  he  followed 
Willie.  As  they  approached  the  stable  they  saw  several 
men  look  out  and  disappear  suddenly,  leaving  no  one 
in  the  stable  but  Drury,  who  was  released  in  a  few 
moments  and,  after  telling  his  story,  hastened  to  open 

The  Armory. 

********* 

As  Alvin  Berry  went  on  writing  the  thought  struck 
him  that  it  was  unusually  still  about  The  Brewery. 
Seeing  that  villainous  face  at  the  window,  combined 
with  the  stillness,  made  an  uncanny,  creepy  feeling 
come  over  him  and  he  arose  from  his  desk,  stepped  to 
the  inside  hall  and  listened.  Not  a  sound  was  to  be 
heard! 

Generally  The  Janitors  were  stirring  about  the  lower 
part  of  The  Brewery  at  that  time;  also  other  men,  but 
he  could  hear  nothing. 

Alvin  said  to  himself:  t 

"There  is  some  deviltry  going  on,  I  know!" 

Drawing  one  of  his  revolvers  he  stepped  out  and 

went  through  the  back  of  the  great  building.     Finding 

several  doors  open  to  the  outside  court  and  street,  he 


300  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

closed   and  locked  them   and   then   went   back   to   the 
office,  saying  to  himself: 

"If  there  is  some  deviltry  being  put  up  against  me, 
it  must  be  against  father,  too,  and  I  will  go  over  to 
The  Distillery  and  see  if  he  is  all  right  and  then  come 
back  here." 

So  he  opened  the  front  door  of  the  office,  locked  it 
after  him  and  started  down  the  stone  steps  to  the  street, 

which  was  very  wide  there. 

********* 

Major  Ashcraft,  Henrietta  and  Mrs.  Bowink  sat  in 
bis  office  and  were  thinking  it  was  time  to  go  home. 
One  of  The  Detectives  came  in  suddenly,  took  The 
Major  into  another  room  and  said  in  a  low  voice: 

"Major,  there  are  hundreds  of  men  prowling  around 
the  streets,  and  some  women  with  them.  What  they 
are  up  to  we  cannot  make  out  just  yet;  but  I  do  not 
think  it  safe  for  you  to  go  home  in  your  carriage  and 
not  safe  for  you  to  stay  here,  for  they  may  attack  you 
in  either  case. 

"The  best  way  would  be  for  you  to  put  on  some 
overalls  and  for  the  ladies  to  change  their  dresses  for 
some  cheap  ones  that  the  washerwomen  have  left  in 
the  building,  and  then  all  of  you  slip  out  and  go  home. 

"As  there  are  a  lot  of  women  in  the  crowd,  you 
and  your  ladies  will  not  be  noticed.  We  four  Detec 
tives  will  follow  closely  after  you,  to  protect  you.  Let 
the  coachman  stay  in  the  office  yard,  all  night,  with 
the  horses." 

Major  Ashcraft  saw  that  the  reasoning  of  The  Detec 
tive  was  very  sensible  and  they  went  out  to  acquaint 
the  ladies  with  their  plans. 

Henrietta  and  Mrs.  Bowink  felt  nervous,  of  course, 
but  thought  it  was  the  best  thing  to  be  done;  and  so, 
going  into  another  part  of  the  building,  they  slipped 
on  some  other  dresses  that  made  them  look  like  girls, 
such  as  work  for  their  living.  Major  Ashcraft  had 
already  put  on  some  overalls  and  changed  his  hat  and 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  301 

looked  like  a  workman,  if  anybody  did  not  look  very 
closely  at  his  face. 

Slipping  out  of  a  back  door  they  entered  the  street 
from  a  side  entrance,  and  were  soon  walking  in  the 
direction  of  their  home,  when  a  great  crowd  met  them, 
as  they  came  to  a  corner  and,  before  they  knew  it, 
they  were  swept  along  with  it  towards  Berry  &  Son's 
great  Brewery.  Henrietta  and  Mrs.  Bowink  clung 
tightly  to  The  Major's  arms,  but  they  were  pushed  and 
jolted  a  good  deal. 

The  crowd  seemed  determined  in  their  looks,  but 
were  then  pretty  quiet.  Leaning  close  to  two  women 
Henrietta  heard  one  of  them  exclaim  to  the  other: 

"Thank  God,  we  are  most  there!  and  we  will  put 
an  end  to  this  drinking  business  in  this  town  forever!** 

Henrietta  whispered  into  her  father's  ear,  as  they 
approached  the  mammoth  building: 

"Papa,  they  are  going  to  do  something  to  The  Brew 
ery!" 

The  Major  whispered  in  the  ladies'  ears,  as  the 
crowd  surged  and  jammed: 

"If  we  should  get  separated,  do  not  be  afraid;  but 
hurry  down  to  The  Hinsdale  Hotel  and  stay  all  night  P 

Just  then,  as  the  crowd  of  men  and  women  saw 
The  Brewery,  they  rent  the  air  with  yells  and  screams 
and  plunged  ahead  toward  the  great  building.  So  vio 
lent  was  their  motion  that  Henrietta  was  torn  from 
her  father's  side  and  swept  forward  nearer  the  front 
of  the  crowd  of  men  and  women. 

Recollecting  what  her  father  said,  seeing  other 
women  near  her,  Henrietta  thought  it  was  best  to  drift 
with  the  rest,  until  she  could  get  a  chance  to  escape. 
The  moon  made  everything  almost  as  light  as  day  and, 
as  she  looked  ahead,  she  saw  a  man  coming  down  The 
Brewery  steps  and  she  said  to  herself: 

"That  looks  like  Alvin!  I  wonder  what  this  crowd 
is  going  to  do?" 


302  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Alvin  had  walked  quite  a  little  distance  down  the 
sidewalk,  before  he  saw  the  crowd  coming  toward  him. 
Then  he  knew  they  were  bent  on  mischief. 

Stepping  to  the  middle  of  the  street  Alvin  drew 
both  revolvers  and  shot  one  in  the  air,  as  he  cried  out 
in  a  commanding  voice: 

"Stop!  Halt!  or  I  will  shoot  the  first  man  who 
advances!" 

How  strange  it  is  that  a  man  of  commanding  pres 
ence  and  determined  air  can  in  many  instances  cower 
a  large  crowd,  and  it  was  the  case  in  this  instance, 
momentarily,  especially  as  many  of  them  knew  that 
Alvin  was  a  dead  shot;  and  the  crowd  stopped,  at 
motion  of  a  tall  man  near  the  front. 

"Explain  yourselves,  why  you  have  come  here  to 
this  Brewery  in  the  night,  with  this  threatening  crowd! 
Who  is  your  leader?  Let  him  step  forward!"  exclaimed 
Alvin. 

The  tall  man  stepped  forward,  it  seemed  reluct 
antly,  to  face  Alvin,  and  said; 

"Captain  Berry,  we  have  come  here,  tonight,  to  burn 
this  infamous  Brewery  down!" 

"Yes!"  cried  one  woman,  "and  we  will  do  it!" 

"God  has  put  it  into  our  hearts  to  do!"  cried  another. 

"We  have  got  The  Devil  in  our  hands  at  last,  Mr. 
Vanski!  Do  not  let  him  escape!"  exclaimed  another, 
and  one  man  yelled: 

"Down  with  ther  damned  'Ristocrat!" 

All  the  crowd  shouted:   "Down  with  him!" 

Henrietta  was  wedged  so  tightly  that  she  could 
hardly  breathe,  but  she  could  see  and  hear  Alvin. 

Vanski  motioned  for  them  to  keep  quiet  and  went 
on: 

"There  is  no  use  for  you,  Captain  Berry,  to  try  to 
bluff  several  hundred  men!  If  you  will  give  up  and 
surrender  your  arms  to  me,  we  will  spare  you  and  not 
harm  you;  but  we  are  going,  to  burn  that  Brewery  down 
tonight,  sure!  So  stand  out  of  the  way!" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  303 

"That's  the  way  to  talk  it,  Mr.  Vanski!" 

"The  Lord  will  slay  the  evil-doers!" 

"His  days  shall  be  as  grass!"  screamed  the  women, 
and  the  men  yelled: 

"Kill  him!"  "Hang  him!"  "Set  fire  to.  his  Brewery 
and  pitch  him  in!" 

Henrietta  trembled  and  clasped  her  hands.  She 
tried  to  push  up  to  the  front  where  she  would  be  near 
Alvin,  but  she  could  not  move.  How  her  heart  went 
out  in  admiration  for  that  solitary  figure,  who  calmly 
stood  there,  with  a  revolver  in  each  hand,  and  domi 
nating  that  great  crowd! 

Alvin  spoke  and  said: 

"Mr.  Vanski,  you  and  this  crowd  are  breaking  the 
law,  disturbing  the  peace,  threatening  my  life  and  prop 
erty.  In  the  name  of  the  law  I  command  you  to  desist 
and  disperse!  Every  man  has  a  right  to  defend  his 
life  and  property  and  I  shall  do  it  on  this  spot  to  my 
utmost!" 

At  that  moment  a  large  rock,  thrown  by  someone 
in  the  crowd,  passed  close  to  Advin's  head  and  a  pistol 
shot  whizzed  by  him  and  the  crowd  yelled: 

"Kill  him!"  "Shoot  him!".  "Hang  him!"  and  Vanski 
waved  his  hand  for  them  to  advance,  but  he  got  back 
himself  in  the  first  line. 

The  crowd,  that  extended  across  the  street  from 
sidewalk  to  sidewalk,  began  to  push  forward  on  the 
sides,  shouting  and  threatening. 

Alvin's  right  hand  was  down  by  his  side,  and  he 
waited  no  longer;  but  just  turned  his  wrist,  a  shot  rang 
out  and  Vanski  leaped  into  the  air  with  a  bullet  in 
his  head — dead! 

This  stopped  the  crowd  for  a  moment,  but  the  ones 
behind  pushed  the  others  forward  toward  Alvin,  and 
they  threw  rocks,  clubs  and  some  of  them  shot  at  him. 

Turning  his  head,  Alvin  saw  that  some  of  his  ene 
mies  had  gone  around  the  block  and  were  coming  up 
behind  him,  and  he  backed  toward  The  Brewery,  threat- 


304  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

ening  the  crowd  with  his  pistols,  but  he  found  that 
they  had  cut  him  off  from  the  office.  Right  near  him 
was  the  entrance  for  teams  to  the  great  inner  court 
of  The  Brewery,  where  shipments  were  made  and 
where  there  were  thousands  of  empty  and  full  kegs 
of  beer. 

Into  the  entrance  Alvin  backed,  hoping  to  get  into 
the  building  through  one  of  the  side  doors  of  the  inner 
court;  but  he  recollected  that  he  had  locked  them, 
before  he  came  out  of  the  office,  inside.  He  saw  now 
that  he  had  to  fight  for  his  life,  for  they  were  shooting 
at  him  and  hurling  everything  they  could  get  hold  of, 
pushing  him  farther  and  farther  into  the  court  and, 
some  of  his  enemies  having  gotten  in  there,  they  were 
shooting  at  him  from  behind  stacks  of  kegs,  also. 

The  women  did  not  come  up  in  front,  but  they 
pushed  the  men  forward.  Alvin  never  shot  at  a  woman, 
but  almost  every  time  he  did  shoot  he  got  his  man. 

The  crowd  having  spread  out,  Henrietta  escaped 
and  ran  to  The  Brewery,  but  she  could  not  get  to  Alvin. 
Nobody  noticed  her,  for  there  were  women  running  in 
every  direction  all  around.  She  ran  up  the  steps  of 
the  office  and  tried  to  get  in,  but  could  not,  and  then 
ran  way  around  to  the  side  of  The  Brewery,  looking 
for  a  place  to  enter. 

At  last  she  espied  a  small  door,  unnoticed  by  most 
people.  Trying  it,  she  found  it  unlocked,  and  she 
entered,  climbed  some  steps  to  a  little  hall,  from  which 
a  door  opened  to  a  very  large  room,  partly  filled  with 
barrels.  She  could  hear  the  shouts  of  the  crowd  and 
pistol  shots,  outside,  going  continually.  At  the  dis 
charge  of  a  small  volley  of  shots  by  his  enemies,  Alvin 
felt  a  sharp  sting  in  his  right  side  and  he  was  hard 
pressed.  He  backed  up  some  steps  with  an  iron  rail 
ing,  which  ended  in  a  small  porch  with  a  very  large 
door  back  of  it  and  a  large  window  with  iron  bars  at 
the  side  of  the  door.  Henrietta  was  in  the  large  room, 
to  which  this  window  belonged,  and  in  looking  through 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  305 

it  saw  Alvin,  fighting  for  his  life,  with  the  crowd  below 
coming  from  every  direction.  She  also  saw  the  women 
of  the  crowd  bringing  torches  and  kindling  and  trying 
to  set  the  barrels  and  kegs  in  the  yard  afire. 

Alvin  found  that  he  was  getting  weak,  his  coat  had 
blood  on  it  and  his  cartridges  were  most  gone. 

"Oh,  if  I  could  only  open  that  door  and  let  Alvin 
in!"  exclaimed  Henrietta,  trying  to  push  up  a  long 
wooden  beam  that  bolted  it;  but  it  was  stuck.  Looking 
around  she  found  a  large  wooden  maul,  used  in  ham 
mering  barrels,  and  with  all  her  strength  she  struck 
the  beam  with  an  upward  stroke  and  it  became  loose, 
so  it  would  come  out. 

She  could  hear  Alvin's  body  strike  the  door,  as  he 
stood  back  against  it,  fighting  for  his  life,  and  lifting 
the  wooden  bolt  out  quickly,  one  wing  of  the  door 
flew  open  and  Alvin  fell  precipitately  at  her  feet, 
exhausted!  She  pulled  him  back,  slammed  the  door 
and  put  the  bolt  hastily  in  place,  just  as  the  leaders  of 
the  crowd  dashed  up  the  steps  and  threw  themselves 
against  the  door;  but  it  was  secure  and  would  not  open. 
Henrietta  seized  the  maul  and  pounded  the  bolt  farther 
down  and  then  sprang  to  Alvin's  side,  who  lay  on  the 
floor.  He  opened  his  eyes  and  saw  a  woman  standing 
over  him.  The  light,  which  fell  from  a  dim  lamp  on 
the  side  of  the  wall  into  a  very  large  room,  was  not 
sufficient  for  him  to  discern  who  she  was.  Raising  him 
self  up  and  sitting  on  the  floor  Alvin  said: 

"Madam,  I  do  not  know  who  you  are;  but  you  have 
saved  my  life  and  I  feel  grateful! — but  look!  they  have 
set  all  the  kegs  and  barrels  afire  and  the  whole  building 
will  go!  I  must  go  up  to  the  big  tank  on  the  roof  and 
turn  the  water  on  them  and  the  fire!" 

Alvin  sprang  up  and  pointed  to  the  window,  where 
the  light  entered  in  fits  and  starts,  and  they  could  hear 
the  yells  of  men  and  women  as  the  flames  began  to 
crackle.  He  staggered  to  the  little  hall  door,  turned 
toward  her  and  exclaimed: 


306 

"I  feel  weak;  can  you  come  and  help  me?" 

From  the  hall  Henrietta  followed  him  and  they 
climbed  and  climbed  stone  steps  and  iron  winding  steps, 
through  a  dim  light,  until  they  came  to  the  flat  roof, 
•  where  there  was  a  tall,  big,  round  wooden  water  tank, 
as  large  as  a  small  house.  From  the  top  of  this  tank 
extended  a  long  arm  or  lever,  a  chain  dangling  there 
from,  which  fell  close  enough  to  the  roof  for  one  to 
grasp,  and  at  the  side  of  the  tank  was  a  coil  of  huge 
hose,  one  end  of  which  was  screwed  on  to  the  tank. 

Smoke  was  rolling  up  from  below  and  came  over 
the  side  of  the  roof,  and  Alvin  knew  he  had  to  be 
quick.  He  pulled  the  huge  hose  along  toward  the  edge 
of  the  roof,  where  the  smoke  was  coming  up,  put  the 
nozzle  end  of  it  over  the  edge  and  pointed  it  where 
the  water  would  fall  on  and  hit  the  blazing  barrels. 

"Please  pull  that  chain  down,  Madam,  and  tie  it  to 
that  post!"  exclaimed  Alvin,  "while  I  hold  this  hose  I" 

Henrietta  pulled  the  chain  down,  reached  for  a  rope 
around  a  post  at  her  side  and  tied  the  chain,  and  then 
went  to  the  side  of  the  flat  roof,  over  where  Alvin  was, 
and  looked  down. 

The  flames  were  coming  up  from  great  numbers  of 
barrels  and  the  smoke  in  large  clouds  was  rolling  in 
every  direction,  while  the  crowd,  made  up  of  hundreds 
of  men,  and  some  women,  ran  around  the  fire,  throwing 
in  every  kind  of  combustible  and  shouting  and  scream 
ing. 

The  water  came  out  of  the  hose  with  a  mighty  rush 
and  was  first  directed  by  Alvin  on  the  densest  part 
of  the  crowd  below.  Scores  were  knocked  to  the  earth 
by  the  force  of  the  large  stream  of  water  falling  upon 
them;  many  were  injured,  and  consternation  and  panic 
seized  them. 

He  then  directed  the  hose  toward  the  flames  that 
were  beginning  to  lick  the  mammoth  Brewery  Building 
itself.  The  hiTe  volume  of  water  falling  on  the  fire 
soon  quenched  it. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  307 

In  a  few  minutes  Alvin  heard  a  yell,  which  he. 
well  knew,  for  it  came  from  The  Berry  Zouaves  and 
Henrietta  and  Alvin  could  see  them  charging  with  bayo^ 
nets  what  was  left  of  the  crowd,  which  fled  in  every 
direction  before  Captain  Berry's  men. 

Just  then  Henrietta  saw  Alvin,  through  the  dim 
light,  raise  himself  with  difficulty,  from  bending  over 
the  edge  of  the  roof,  and  put  his  hand  on  his  side. 
He  seemed  to  sway.  She  sprang  to  his  side  and  said: 

"Alvin!" 

The  moon  came  out  brightly  and  fell  upon  her  face 
and  Alvin  bent  toward  her,  reached  for  her,  seized  her 
hand,  kissed  it,  and  muttered,  as  he  toppled  over  on 
the  roof: 

"Hen— ri— etta!" 

She  put  her  hand  and  arm  under  him  and  tried  to 
raised  him  up  and  kissed  and  kissed  him.  Alvin's  face 
was  very  pale  and  his  hand  felt  wet!  She  exclaimed: 

"What  is  that?  Blood!  and  all  over  Alvin's  side! 
He  is  wounded  and  must  have  a  doctor!  I  must  have 
help!  I  will  go  to  The  Zouaves!" 

Henrietta  was  down  on  her  knees  with  her  arms 
around  Alvin's  neck.  She  kissed  him  again,  laid  him 
down  gently  on  the  roof  and  flew  down  the  steps.  At 
the  foot,  in  the  hall,  she  met  Mrs.  Jonquil.  The  Berry 
Zouaves  were  trying  to  get  into  the  building  at  several 
doors  and  Mrs.  Jonquil  and  Henrietta  unlocked  the 
doors. 

As  the  soldiers  came  crowding  in,  Lieutenant  Hop 
kins  exclaimed  in  an  excited  tone: 

"Where's  our  Captain?" 

Henrietta  answered: 

"Up  at  the  top  of  The  Brewery,  wounded,  and  he 
will  die,  if  some  of  you  do  not  go  quickly  and  get  a 
doctor!" 

The  Lieutenant  ordered  some  of  the  men  to  run 
quickly  for  Dr.  Biddle  and  he,  with  a  dozen  soldiers, 
ran  up  to  the  roof  and  brought  Alvin  tenderly  down 


308  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

and  laid  him  on  a  couch  in  his  office,  where  Henrietta 
and  Mrs.  Jonquil  nursed  him,  until  The  Doctor  came, 
who  said  he  had  fainted  from  fatigue  and  loss  of  blood, 
but  was  not  dangerously  wounded  and  would  soon 
recover. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

Lucy  Hurryup's  coachman,  in  the  midst  of  a  large 
crowd  of  men  and  women,  drove  along.  They  all 
moved  very  quietly  and  Lucy  sat  upright  in  the  car 
riage  looking  intently  ahead.  Her  sister,  Mrs.  Brent- 
wood,  with  hands  clasped,  sat  in  the  seat  with  Lucy, 
beside  her,  all  drawn  up  to  a  pitch  of  excitement,  not 
knowing  what  was  going  to  happen  next. 

One  of  the  coachmen  turned  around  from  the 
driver's  seat,  bent  down  a  little  and  said  in  a  low 
voice: 

"We  are  just  two  blocks  away  from  the  big  Distillery 
now,  Miss  Hurryup." 

"That  is  good!"  exclaimed  Lucy,  arising  to  her  feet. 
"Come,  Rachel,  we  are  going  to  get  out  and  attend  to 
The  Lord's  business,  confided  to  our  hands  1" 

Mrs.  Brentwood  drew  back  and  said:  "Oh,  no,  Lucy! 
Let  me  stay  in  the  carriage!  I  do  not  want  to  get  out!" 

The  footman  opened  the  door  and  Lucy  partly  lifted 
and  partly  pulled  her  sister  out  of  the  carriage  to  the 
middle  of  the  street  below,  at  the  side  of  the  carriage, 
and  she  said  to  the  coachman: 

"Keep  along  near  us,  but  not  too  near!" 

Lucy  then  took  hold  of  her  sister's  arm  and  they 
joined  the  ranks  of  the  women,  who  merged  with  the 
men,  and  all  marched  toward  the  great  Distillery. 

Colonel  Berry  was  tired,  for  he  had  figured  and 
written  for  several  hours  in  the  main  office  of  The 
Distillery.  The  head  Janitor  came  into  the  office  and 
said : 

"Colonel,  is  there  anything  I  can  do  for  you?" 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  309 

"No,"  said  The  Colonel,  "only  have  my  buggy 
brought  around  to  the  front  door!  I  am  tired.  When 
I  get  Alvin,  we  will  go  home  and  get  a  good  sleep." 

The  head  Janitor  went  out  through  the  back  of  The 
Distillery  to  order  the  buggy;  but  when  he  got  into 
the  outside  court,  where  the  buggy  generally  stood, 
he  could  not  find  the  hostler  or  the  buggy,  either,  for 
there  was  nothing  in  sight  but  tiers  of  whisky  barrels, 
ready  for  shipment.  He  thought  he  saw  someone 
skulking  behind  a  barrel;  but  on  second  thought  con 
cluded  it  was  only  a  shadow. 

Lucy  and  her  crowd  of  men  and  women,  unlike 
The  Brewery  Crowd,  made  no  noise,  until  they  came 
into  the  little  park  of  flower  beds  that  extended  across 
the  front  of  The  Distillery.  Then  Lucy,  leaving  her 
sister  with  other  women,  went  to  the  front  of  the 
crowd,  held  up  her  hands  and  shouted: 

"Halt!  Servants  of  The  Lord,  get  ready  and  do 
your  duty!" 

Immediately  several  hundred  men  and  women  took 
bundles  of  paper  and  other  inflammable  material,  made 
torches  and  started  for  the  whisky  barrels  in  the  inner 
court  of  The  Distillery,  to  set  them  afire. 

They  were  about  to  place  the  lighted  combustibles 
under  the  barrels,  when  a  band  of  yelling  men,  led  by 
Joe  Ganzel,  sprang  among  them,  struck  down,  shot  and 
stabbed  the  intruders  with  such  fury  that  most  of  them 
turned  and  fled  out  of  the  inner  courts;  but  some  of 
them  stood  their  ground  and  battled  with  the  gang. 

Lucy  Hurryup  ran  along  the  line  of  retreating  men 
and  women  and  screamed: 

"Stop!  Cowards!  You  are  sent  to  do  The  Lord's 
will!" 

Lucy's  hair  came  down,  as  she  flew  to  the  end  of 
the  crowd  in  the  park.  With  her  hair  flying  behind 
her  and  rushing  from  point  to  point  like  a  tigress,  she 
shouted: 


310  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"See  how  few  men  there  are  against  you!  Come 
back!" 

The  crowd  turned  back  toward  the  inner  court  and 
the  men,  by  force  of  numbers,  drove  Joe  Ganzel's  gang 
completely  off,  who  left  quite  a  number  of  dead  on  the 
ground. 

Colonel  Berry  came  down  The  Distillery  steps  with 
revolver  in  hand  and  stood  looking  at  the  fighting, 
when  Lucy  spied  him.  She  sprang  from  group  to 
group  of  her  followers,  pointed  to  Colonel  Berry  and 
screamed: 

"There  is  The  Arch  Fiend!  There  is  The  Child  of 
The  Devil!  Kill  him!  Burn  down  this  Cesspool  of 
Hell!  The  Lord  commands  you  to  destroy  him!"  and, 
like  one  of  The  Furies,  she  seized  a  torch  from  the 
hesitating  hand  of  a  man,  waved  it  on  high  and 
motioned  them  to  follow. 

The  Colonel  stood  out  in  front  of  The  Distillery  and, 
by  the  bright  moonlight,  saw  it  all  and  how  all  the 
crowd  followed  Lucy  as  they  threateningly  approached 
him.  Being  on  a  little  higher  ground  than  they,  he 
saw  something  else,  also,  and  it  was — all  of  a  sudden, 
The  Berry  Zouaves,  who,  with  fixed  bayonets,  burst 
upon  the  crowd  like  a  whirlwind  on  one  side  and  The 
Police  Force,  with  Chief  Murray  at  their  head,  on  the 
other  side. 

In  an  instant,  scattering  in  every  direction,  Lucy's 
followers  fled  away  from  The  Distillery,  leaving  Mrs. 
Brentwood  standing  alone. 

All  this  Colonel  Berry  saw;  but  he  did  not  see  a 
man  slip  up  and  place  a  bomb  not  over  ten  feet  behind 
him  and  rush  away.  The  bomb  sizzled  and  sizzled 
and  Colonel  Berry  did  not  know  how  close  he  was 
to  eternity! 

Suddenly  another  man  sprang  towards  the  bomb, 
seized  it  in  his  hands  and  fled  away  from  The  Colonel. 
It  was  Snickuls,  and  he  tried  to  throw  the  bomb  way 
off,  but  just  as  it  left  his  hands  it  exploded,  knocking 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  311 

Colonel  Berry  and  Mrs.  Brentwood  down!  There  was 
no  one  else  near. 

When  they  picked  themselves  up  they  looked  and 
saw  a  man  lying  on  the  ground  not  far  away,  and  both 
ran  to  him.  It  was  Snickuls! 

"Poor  man!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Brentwood,  as  she  got 
down  on  her  knees,  lifted  Snickuls'  head  and  wiped 
some  blood  off  his  ear. 

The  Colonel  was  down  on  his  knees,  also,  and  taking 
Snickuls'  hand  he  bent  over  him  and  exclaimed  in 
anguish: 

"Lieutenant!  Lieutenant!  Wake  up!  Wake  up! 
For  God's  sake  do  not  leave  us!" 

Snickuls'  body  twitched  a  little  and  his  lips  moved 
and  said: 

"Thank  God,  I've  saved  my  Colonel!"  but  his  eyes 
remained  closed. 

The  Colonel  kissed  his  hand  over  and  over  and  the 
tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks,  and  Mrs.  Brentwood  took 
Snickuls'  head  on  her  lap  and  wiped  his  brow  with 
her  handkerchief. 

Snickuls  opened  his  eyes  and  looked  up  at  the  gentle 
face  over  him.  A  gleam  of  consciousness  seemed  to 
come  over  him,  as  he  looked  at  her.  He  exclaimed: 

"Please  do  not  say  anything  about — the — matter, 
until  I  can  get — out — the  country!"  and  then  closed  his 
eyes  and  lapsed  back  into  unconsciousness. 

Mrs.  Brentwood  suddenly  bent  over  and  seized  The 
Colonel's  arm,  crying: 

"Colonel!  Colonel!  Can  you  not  do  something  for 
him?  That  is  the  man  who  saved  my  honor!" 

The  Colonel  groaned  aloud.  Raising  a  little  on  his 
elbow,  Snickuls  shouted: 

"Fix  Bayonets!  Give  The  Rebel  Yell!  then  give 
them  Hell!  Charge!"  and  then  he  sank  back  and  closed 
his  eyes  again. 

In  a  few  moments,  without  moving,  Snickuls  mur 
mured: 


312  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Meet  me  at — The  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club, 
tonight — Tom — my,"  and  Snickuls  was  dead. 

Just  then  Dr.  Biddle  and  Chief  of  Police  Murray 
came  up  and  looked  down  on  them.  Mrs.  Brentwood 
sobbed  aloud  and  Colonel  Berry's  strong  frame  shook, 
as  he  wept  like  a  child. 

The  Rev.  Joylifter  had  been  writing  to  Miss  Ask- 
witch  for  some  time,  professing  his  undying  love  in 
every  letter.  One  morning  she  received  a  letter, 
requesting  her  to  meet  him  at  The  Hinsdale  Hotel,  and 
stated  that  they  would  go  and  get  married. 

Miss  Askwitch  quietly  put  on  her  things,  took  her 
satchel  and  slipped  out  of  Major  Ashcraft's  house  unob 
served.  Sure  enough,  when  she  reached  The  Ladies' 
Parlor  of  The  Hinsdale  Hotel,  there  sat  Rev.  Joylifter, 
waiting  for  her.  They  drove  to  a  town,  some  ten  miles 
away,  and  were  married. 

Miss  Askwitch  never  came  back  to  Major  Ashcraft 
again,  but  simply  sent  for  her  trunk,  which  she  had 
packed  before  she  left,  and  followed  her  husband  to 
a  distant  part  of  the  country. 
********* 

It  was  most  sundown  and,  as  the  last  rays  peeped 
over  the  distant  mountains,  they  fell  upon  a  small  figure 
of  a  boy,  who  lay  prostrate  on  a  new  grave  of  the 
Cemetery,  with  his  face  in  his  hands,  weeping.  The 
boy  was  Tommy  Dust  and  it  was  the  grave  of  Snickuls, 
in  the  private  lot  of  The  Berry  Family. 
********* 

Dr.  Biddle  was  about  to  enter  his  office  door  one 
morning,  when  a  newsboy,  who  was  accustomed  to 
bring  him  a  paper,  handed  him  the  morning  issue  of 
The  Trumpet. 

He  entered  his  office,  closed  the  door,  seated  himself 
and  read.  On  the  first  page,  in  large  type,  was  printed: 
FOUND  DROWNED  IN  THE  RIVER! 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  313 

"The  mystery  of  the  sudden  disappearance  of  Miss 
Lucy  Hurryup,  late  President  of  The  W.  C.  T.  U.,  of  this 
city,  several  weeks  ago,  has  been  solved. 

"As  the  keeper  of  The  Ferry,  at  Grayville,  on  The 
Tennesippi  River,  was  preparing  to  take  his  first  boat 
across  the  river,  early  Sunday  morning,  he  spied  a 
dark  object  floating  down  the  river,  near  the  shore. 
Galling  another  man  on  the  bank,  they  got  into  a  small 
boat  and  rowed  to  the  object,  which  they  found  was 
the  dead  body  of  a  woman,  in  a  dark  dress  and  with 
face  upturned. 

"They  took  the  body  to  the  shore  and  The  County 
Coroner  was  at  once  notified,  who  summoned  a  jury. 
One  of  the  jury,  who  had  often  seen  Miss  Hurryup 
and  knew  of  her  disappearance,  expressed  the  belief 
that  it  was  the  missing  woman,  though  her  face  was 
much  changed. 

"Mrs.  Senator  Brentwood,  hearing  of  the  finding  of 
the  body,  immediately  proceeded  to  the  river  and  iden 
tified  the  drowned  woman,  from  rings  on  her  finger, 
her  clothing  and  birth  marks,  as  her  sister,  The  Presi- 
went  of  The  W.  C.  T.  U.  The  body  was  taken  care 
of  by  Undertaker  Hyslop,  of  Grayville,  who  will  ship 
it  to  Wellsburg,  the  residence  of  Senator  Brentwood, 
for  burial.  The  verdict  of  the  jury  was  that  it  was  a 
case  of  suicide." 

Dr.  Biddle  dropped  the  paper  on  the  floor  and,  star 
ing  into  space  a  moment,  he  nodded  his  head  several 
times  and  muttered: 

"Just  as  I  thought!  She  loved  Colonel  Berry  so 
intently,  that  when  he  would  not  reciprocate  and  be 
unfaithful  to  his  wife,  it  all  turned  to  hate!  Is  it  not 
the  greatest  problem  of  society- — to  give  the  women 

something  to  love,  and  satisfy  their  love?" 

*****»*•• 

A  beautiful  woman  stepped  out  of  a  large  store  on 
Main  Street,  her  face  suffused  with  becoming  blushes. 
It  was  Henrietta  Ashcraft.  She  had  just  met  Captain 


314  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Alvin  Berry  in  the  store  and  he  had  whispered  in  her 
ear  how  lovely  he  thought  she  was. 

A  little  way  down  the  street  Henrietta  met  Mrs. 
Senator  Brentwood  and  held  out  her  hand  to  her, 
saying: 

"I  am  so  glad  to  see  you!    When  did  you  get  here?" 

Mrs.  Brentwood  answered: 

"I  got  here  last  night  and  am  staying  at  The  Hins- 
dale  Hotel.  My  poor  sister's  property  needed  attention 
and  The  Senator  and  I  came  down  to  attend  to  it. 
Gome  to  see  me,  at  the  hotel!" 

The  next  day  was  Sunday  and  that  afternoon  a 
carriage  drove  up  to  the  hotel  door  to  take  The  Sen 
ator  and  Mrs.  Brentwood  out  to  ride.  On  the  carriage 
seat  in  front  of  them  was  an  exquisite  wreath  of 
flowers.  They  drove  through  the  great  Cemetery  Gate 
and  asked  the  gatekeeper  which  way  was  the  lot  of 
The  Berry  Family. 

The  carriage  stopped,  when  it  had  been  driven  a 
short  way,  and  its  occupants  got  out,  Mrs.  Brentwood, 
carrying  the  wreath.  They  passed  through  narrow 
streets  of  the  dead,  until  they  saw  a  large  monument 
a  short  distance  away. 

At  the  top  of  the  monument  was  the  figure  of  a 
dead  horse  and  an  officer  trying  to  extricate  himself 
from  under  it,  while  another  officer  was  standing  over 
him  and  defending  the  prostrate  one  from  the  attacks 
of  several  enemies.  Mrs.  Brentwood  said  to  The  Sen 
ator: 

"His  assumed  name  was  Snickuls,  but  his  real  name 
is  on  the  tomb.  The  Senator  looked  up  and  read  on  the 
monument: 

Dedicated 

To  The  Memory  of 

Lieutenant  Charles  Melton,  C.  S.  A. 

A  Brave  Soldier,  A  Good  Citizen 

And 
A  True  Friend. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  315 

Stepping  up  several  stone  steps,  one  of  which  had 
chiseled  on  it  in  large  letters: 
BERRY 

Senator  and  Mrs.  Brentwood  stood  on  the  grassy  plot 
in  front  of  the  monument. 

Wreath  in  hand  she  approached  and,  when  close 
to  it,  saw  two  figures  in  devotion,  whom  she  recog 
nized.  Colonel  Berry,  with  arms  crossed  over  his 
breast  and  bended  head,  and  Tommy  Dust,  with 
upturned  face,  eyes  closed  and  hands  clasped,  knelt 
there  and  prayed.  The  man  of  sixty  and  the  boy  of 
fifteen  had  a  common  bond  of  sorrow  and  Mrs.  Brent- 
wood,  wiping  her  eyes,  placed  the  wreath  on  the  tomb 
and  knelt  a  moment  in  prayer,  while  her  husband, 
with  bended  head,  stood  in  silence. 

In  a  few  moments  she  arose  and  The  Brentwoods 
departed,  leaving  The  Colonel  and  Tommy  still  on  their 
knees.  As  they  drove  back  into  the  city  they  saw  a 
new  monument  on  the  small  park  opposite  the  Postoffice 
and  The  Senator  spoke  to  the  driver,  saying: 

"Stop,  I  want  to  see  what  new  monument  that  is!" 

They  got  out  and  walked  to  the  foot  of  it,  and  saw 
up  on  top  of  the  monument  the  figure  of  a  man  lifting 
a  woman,  who  lay  in  his  arms,  and  placing  her  in  a 
wagon,  and  an  old  woman,  seated  in  the  driver's  seat, 
was  looking  around  at  him.  Chiseled  in  the  stone  of 
the  monument  they  read: 

In  Memory  of 
Snickuls 

From 
Henrietta  Ashcraft. 

When  they  returned  to  The  Hinsdale  Hotel,  they 
heard  the  following  facts  about  The  Snickuls  Monu 
ment: 

After  the  death  of  Snickuls,  Tommy  Dust  never 
tired  of  telling  the  virtues  and  deeds  of  his  departed 
friend,  and  one  of  the  deeds  was  saving  the  life  of 


316  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

Henrietta    Ashcraft,    when    she    wandered     away    in 
delirium. 

The  Mayor  and  Major  Ashcraft,  hearing  of  these 
stories,  asked  Tommy  to  come  to  Major  Ashcraft's  house 
and  relate  the  circumstances,  as  everyone  in  the  city 
had  been  under  the  impression  that  it  was  the  old 
countrywoman  who  had  rescued  the  beautiful  Hen 
rietta  and  brought  her  to  the  city;  for  which  she 
obtained  one  thousand  dollars. 

Mayor  Fray,  Major  Ashcraft  and  Judge  Elmira  Sims 
came  to  The  Hinsdale  Hotel  in  a  carriage  and  took 
Tommy  to  The  Major's  residence,  where,  in  the  parlor 
and  in  the  presence  of  Mrs.  Bowink  and  Henrietta, 
Tommy  told  the  story  of  how  Snickuls  had  rescued 
Henrietta,  as  he  heard  it  from  Snickuls'  own  mouth, 
in  The  Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club. 

Henrietta  and  Mrs.  Bowink  wept,  as  Tommy  told 
the  story,  and  there  were  tears  in  the  eyes  of  the  men. 
Tommy  took  them  through  the  old  ruins  to  The  Snick 
uls  and  Tommy  Club  and  showed  them  the  old  couch, 
where  Snickuls  lay  with  his  sprained  ankle,  when  he 
told  Tommy  about  rescuing  her. 

The  Mayor  put  some  detectives  on  the  case,  found 
the  old  woman  and  arrested  her,  when  she  confirmed 
everything  Tommy  said.  Major  Ashcraft  said  to  the 
authorities  to  let  her  go,  and  so  they  did;  but  Hen 
rietta,  determined  to  show  her  gratitude  in  some  way, 
with  the  consent  of  the  authorities,  erected  "The 
Snickuls  Monument"  opposite  the  Postoffice,  at  her  own 
expense. 

There  were  no  more  meetings  at  the  old  Snickuls 
and  Tommy  Club,  but  Colonel  Berry  and  Major  Ash 
craft  erected  a  new  "Snickuls  and  Tommy  Club,"  on 
the  same  spot,  in  the  shape  of  a  magnificent  Public 
Building,  devoted  to  the  entertainment,  amusement  and 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  317 

culture  of  all  who  came.    Though  young,  Tommy  Dust 
was  made  President  and  remained  so  for  many  years. 


Judge  Elmira  Sims  finished  his  supper,  put  on  his 
dressing  gown,  walked  into  his  Library,  seated  himself 
in  his  easy  chair,  picked  up  the  Evening  Edition  of 
The  Trumpet  and  commenced  to  read. 

"Hello!  what's  this?"  he  said,  and  read: 


A  NOTABLE   EVENT. 

"All  of  Society  in  The  City  of  Batesville,  the  sur 
rounding  towns  and  the  County  is  in  a  flutter  over  the 
coming  marriage,  next  Wednesday,  at  Dr.  Peter  Nostir's 
Church,  of  Miss  Henrietta  Ashcraft,  the  beautiful  and 
accomplished  daughter  of  our  esteemed  citizen,  Major 
Ashcraft,  to  Captain  Alvin  Berry,  son  of  our  distin 
guished  citizen,  Colonel  Berry. 

.  "Considering  the  prominence,  wealth  and  culture 
and  the  high  standing  of  the  coming  bride  and  groom, 
it  certainly  will  be  a  notable  event!" 

"Well!"  said  The  Judge,  talking  to  himself  with 
emphasis,  "he  ought  to  be  happy  to  get  such  a  beau 
tiful  woman,  and  she  ought  to  be  happy  to  get  such 
a  magnificent  specimen  of  a  man!" 


It  was  a  warm  night,  the  moon  shone  brightly  and 
Colonel  Berry  went  out  on  the  lawn  to  his  favorite 
seat  to  smoke.  The  magnificent  trees  cast  their  shad 
ows  on  the  walks  and  hedges  around  and  it  was  a 
pleasant  scene  to  view. 

In  a  few  moments  Major  Ashcraft  stepped  up  and 
joined  him  and  they  sat  in  separate  chairs,  close  to 
each  other,  and  smoked  and  talked. 


318  COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE 

"Nice  night,  Colonel  Berry!  Nice  night,  Major 
Ashcraft!"  exclaimed  Henrietta,  laughing,  in  her 
musical,  happy  voice,  as  she  came  up,  hanging  on  the 
arm  of  Alvin  Berry,  and  stood  near  her  father. 

"Fine!"  said  The  Colonel,  as  a  ring  of  smoke  went 
up  over  his  head. 

"Yes,  indeed!"  said  The  Major,  as  he  took  the  dis 
engaged  hand  of  his  daughter  and  kissed  it.  Colonel 
Berry  reached  out,  also,  took  his  son's  hand  and  kissed 
it. 

"We  are  going  to  take  a  walk."  said  Alvin,  and  he 
and  Henrietta  disappeared  among  the  deep  shadows 
of  the  trees. 

"Good  looking  couple,  Colonel!"  exclaimed  Major 
Ashcraft. 

Colonel  Berry  replied: 

"Yes,  the  best  looking  couple  I  have  ever  seen;  if 
they  are  our  children!"  and  the  gentlemen  laughed 
heartily  and  went  on  smoking. 

As  they  talked,  a  light  footfall  was  heard  and  Mrs. 
Bowink  made  her  appearance.  She  put  her  hand  on 
Major  Ashcraft's  shoulders  and  said: 

"Come,  Major,  it  is  most  bedtime  and  we  must  go 
home!" 

Major  Ashcraft  took  her  hand  and  replied: 

"Colonel,  this  lady  was  Mrs.  Bowink,  until  six 
months  ago,  when  she  became  Mrs.  Major  Ashcraft!" 

Colonel  Berry  got  up  and  made  a  low  bow,  shook 
hands  with  Mrs.  Major  Ashcraft  and  they  all  went  into 
the  house  together. 


COLONEL  BERRY'S  CHALLENGE  319 

Alvin  and  Henrietta  went  strolling  happily  through 
the  trees.  They  came  to  the  fence  he  used  to  climb, 
in  order  to  reach  Henrietta.  It  was  down,  now,  and 
there  was  no  bar  between  The  Berry  and  Ashcraft 
property,  for  the  heirs  were  to  be  united  as  one  the 
next  week. 

Alvin  helped  Henrietta  across  the  brook  and  they 
went  and  sat  in  the  same  old  hammock  they  used  to 
sit  in.  He  had  his  arms  around  her  waist  and  she 
had  her  arms  around  his  neck.  Putting  her  beautiful 
head  on  his  shoulder,  she  looked  up  into  his  dark  eyes 
and  said: 

"Nobody  shall  have  my  Playmate  of  the  Brook!" 

As  the  moon  shone  through  the  trees  and  fell  upon 
the  raven  locks  and  golden  tresses,  close  together,  the 
brook  answered  back: 

"Nobody!" 


THE  END. 


\ 


